Talking about Genetic Testing with your Family
December 09, 2020- 00:00The information that comes from
- 00:02genetic counseling and testing,
- 00:03regardless of the test results,
- 00:05can be very important for family members and
- 00:07can be literally lifesaving in some cases.
- 00:10At the same time, that isn't to say that
- 00:13it's always easy or straightforward
- 00:15and that everyone is going to have an
- 00:18easy time with it or the same reaction.
- 00:21So as people will see in the videos
- 00:23that each family is different,
- 00:26each person is different.
- 00:27They are going to have different challenges,
- 00:29different approaches,
- 00:30different reactions to the information.
- 00:32It can be difficult,
- 00:33and it can be scary to have to be
- 00:36the giver or receiver and people can
- 00:39have a really wide range of emotions,
- 00:41so I think.
- 00:42It's using the tools that are
- 00:44available that oftentimes as genetic
- 00:46professionals were here and happy to
- 00:49be kind of that source of information
- 00:51and support to help people strategize
- 00:53how people ask questions so you know,
- 00:56sit down.
- 00:57We often talk to people on the
- 00:59phone or in person about how do
- 01:02I tell who do I have to tell and
- 01:05how do I tell them what you know?
- 01:07How do we give that information?
- 01:09So I think you know.
- 01:12Our job in seeing a lot of patients
- 01:14also is to kind of know what strategies
- 01:17might help and help people kind of
- 01:19talk through that in their family.
- 01:21Maybe there's certain people that
- 01:23they will have an easier time telling
- 01:25and they can utilize those people to
- 01:27then help disseminate the information
- 01:29through their family that you know
- 01:31they tell key people and have those
- 01:33people tell other key people that they
- 01:35kind of find strategies that work.
- 01:37If there's there closer to certain
- 01:39people and not others that we
- 01:41have tools like family letters,
- 01:43information sheets.
- 01:43Often times that can help.
- 01:45In those situations.