Barriers to acceptance of genetic counseling among primary care physicians

This research analyzed physicians' attitudes toward and use of genetic counseling. Data were obtained through mailed questionnaires sent to all 445 general and family practitioners, pediatricians, and obstetrician-gynecologists in private practice and involved in direct patient care in Maricopa and Pima Counties, Arizona. Results indicated strong attitudinal support for genetic counseling. Almost all respondents felt that it was a useful and necessary medical service, and most felt that it resulted in more responsible patient decisions. Actual genetic counseling by physicians was comparatively rare, however. The data suggested that the paucity of counseling may have derived from a lack of training in genetics, scarcity of patient requests, and legal naivete. Genetic counseling, amniocentesis, and abortion received the most support from younger physicians, obstetrician-gynecologists, and those who were Jewish, less religious, and had few or no children.