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Genetic knowledge, opinions and self-perceived competence of non-genetic health care providers

116 Genetic knowledge, opinions and self-perceived competence of non-genetic health care providers During recent decades, rapid developments have changed the relevance of genetics in medicine. Consequently, all genetic and non-genetic health care providers will be faced with an increase in the demand for genetic testing. In the future, non-geneticists will most likely play a major role in ordering and interpreting genetic tests, referring patients to genetic centres, and communicating with patients about genetic issues. Therefore, their knowledge of genetics will become an essential part of good clinical practice. Medical professional competence has been defined in seven areas of competence: medical expertise, communication skills, collaborative work, management, health advocacy, scholarship and professionalism. In this thesis several aspects of medical expertise, communication skills, health advocacy, and professionalism have been investigated. The main focus is on genetic-related knowledge, beliefs with regard to genetic testing, and self-perceived competence among non-genetic health care providers, i.e. general practitioners, gynaecologists and paediatricians. The existing genetics policy and practice in the Netherlands in relation to undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing medical education The 2002 curricula of the eight medical schools providing medical education and the curricula of all of all types of specialised medical training programmes were examined, to investigate whether medical health care providers in the Netherlands are adequately educated in genetics. In Chapter 2 the collection of data on the current level of genetic education of non-genetic health-care providers and the evaluation of these data are described in detail. In most medical schools very few hours are allocated to genetic education. This subject is relatively invisible, being integrated only in a minority of courses. If present at all, it comprises only a small fraction of the total course (a mean of 8%). Only three of the 27 training programmes for medical specialists and for MDs caring for mentally handicapped people included a formal genetic education programme. Continued genetic education courses on genetics are seldom offered. However, training in midwifery includes at least 3 weeks of genetic education, and courses on genetics are offered frequently to practicing midwifes. In conclusion, we found that there was a lack of visibility of genetics in the current medical education, and there appear to be no general, nationally defined final goals concerning genetic education for non-genetic health care providers in the Netherlands.