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Learn more about genetics and genetic disease risks, how genetic counselling can help you and if genetic testing is right for you.
Genetics Discovery Call
FREE - 10 minutes
Learn about hereditary cancer risks
Discuss your family history of disease and your risks
Find out genetic risks to future chidlren
Get to know preventive health measures based on genetics
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Frequently asked questions
What is genetic counselling and who provides this?
Genetic counselling can help individuals understand how inherited genetic conditions might affect them and their families. It can also help one understand if and how genetic testing might be useful, what implications the results can have and how to make healthcare management decisons based on this information
Genetic counselling is provided by Master’s-trained and board-certified professionals called genetic counsellors and geneticists. However, depending on the country, it can also be offered by other appropriately trained genetic and non-genetic healthcare professionals. GeneLinx currently works with experienced genetic counsellors.
The genetic counsellors or other healthcare professionals first collect and assess personal and family health history. Using this information they then determine how likely it is that an individual or their family member has a genetic condition.
They explain the details of the genetic condition; discuss the benefits and risks of genetic testing and if it is appropriate and available for an individual. They also coordinate the testing and once results are available help individuals understand the implications for them and their relatives and offer support in obtaining the follow up care and management one may need.
Who should have genetic counselling?
Anyone can avail themselves of genetic counselling including healthy individuals. Here are the most common indications for which people attend a genetic counselling appointment.
● You or your family member has a suspected genetic condition and you are seeking a diagnosis.
● You have a family history of a known genetic condition and you are interested in understanding your risks for having the condition
● You are pregnant or are planning a pregnancy and are interested in knowing the risks of having a child with a genetic condition
● You are a healthy individual but are proactive about your genetic health and interested in knowing if you are at risk for developing one of the more common genetic diseases
● You are adopted and do not know your biological family’s health history. So you are interested in understanding your risks for a genetic condition
● You have had a genetic test performed through your physician or have had a Direct-to-consumer DNA test and you would like to discuss these results and understand their implications and next steps
Are GeneLinx's services available in my country?
GeneLinx’s services are currently available in the UK and the Republic of Ireland only.
We will soon be expanding our services to other countries as well. If you are located in a different region and are interested in our services please join our waitlist.
In some instances, depending on the country, we might still be able to provide services to you. So please fill out our waitlist form or contact us directly with your location and we will get back to you in case we are able to provide services in your location.
What clinical specialties do you offer services in?
GeneLinx offers services in oncology, reproductive health and proactive health.
You can schedule an appointment with us if you:
● are affected or have a family history of cancer,
● are pregnant or considering a pregnancy and interested in your and your partner’s risk of being carriers and passing on a disease to your child,
● are healthy and have no family history but interested in knowing your risks for common genetic diseases and what you can do about them proactively
● are adopted and do not know your biological family health history and would like to know if you or your children might be at a genetic risk for certain conditions
● have had testing through direct to consumer genetic laboratories and would like help in understanding the results and what are the actionable next steps
● have a known genetic disease change in your family and are interested in learning your risks and testing yourself
We will slowly be adding other specialties such as Cardiology, Neurology and Rare diseases over time. So please check our website for updates or follow us on LinkedIn.
Can GeneLinx order clinical genetic testing for me?
Yes! Depending on where you are located and how you booked GeneLinx’s services, this can be handled in different ways. In most cases our genetic counsellors can order testing if necessary and appropriate with your consent and GeneLinx can coordinate this for you.
In some cases, your referring physician or the partner organization who referred you to GeneLinx will order the testing themselves or GeneLinx will coordinate ordering the test on their behalf with them being the primary ordering provider and GeneLinx being the secondary ordering provider.
This will be discussed with you during the session if you decide to proceed with genetic testing. If you have questions about your specific situation, you can always send an inquiry to support@gene-linx.com.
Do I need to be referred by my physician to schedule an appointment with GeneLinx?
No, you do not need a referral and can schedule and pay for an appointment directly on our website.
If you still have questions and are not quite ready to schedule and pay for an appointment please reach out to us at contact@gene-linx.com or use our contact form to request a call back so we can help you with any questions or concerns
How can a healthcare provider (HCP) or a partner refer a patient to your service?
We are happy to receive referrals from physicians and other HCPs. They can direct patients to our website where patient can schedule an appointment at their convenience.
Alternatively, GeneLinx can also contract with clinics, HCPs, healthcare organisations, laboratories, Biopharma, Employee benefit programs, insurances, etc. to provide genetics consulting and counseling services to these organizations.
In such cases, the referral pathway will be agreed upon during the contracting process.
If you are interested in becoming our partner please fill out our Partner Form to indicate your interest and we will reach out to you or alternatively email us as contact@gene-linx.com
How is my data secured and who will have access to it?
GeneLinx is located in Germany which has some of the strictest data protection laws. We are compliant with GDPR and store your data with the highest safest standards possible. Information you share with GeneLinx is kept private and viewed by only the individuals necessary to provide the services to you and for any uses that you specifically consented to. You can review the details of storage, security and usage in our privacy policy.
All information necessary for the appointment is collected in a GDPR-compliant and secure manner and a link to the post-session summary notes is shared via secure email.
These notes will also be shared with your general healthcare provider if you had requested it or were referred by them to us.
GeneLinx will only discuss your case with your healthcare provider/s if you give us explicit permission. For more details on how we keep your information private and secure, see our Privacy Practices and Terms of Service.
For any concerns about data protection and privacy please contact us at privacy@gene-linx.com
What is the basis for GeneLinx’s prices?
GeneLinx is dedicated to provide high quality genetic counseling services. For us, this means that your genetic counselor is able to take the time to be thorough in gathering and reviewing your personal and family medical history. This context is essential for making personalized recommendations related to genetic testing and for understanding any genetic testing results.
Depending on the reason for the appointment or what questions come up during an appointment, your genetic counselor may also need to do additional research to provide you with the most informed and up-to-date information. This can be a significant investment of time on the part of the genetic counselor.
After your appointment, you will receive a detailed consult note and pedigree (picture of your family history) which summarizes your personal and family medical history, your discussion with the genetic counselor, and any related recommendations. This is an important document for your own records and can be important to share with your physician/s as well as your family members. Writing these detailed consult notes also represents a significant investment of time on the part of the genetic counselor.
Although appointments are typically scheduled for one hour, our rates are flat, per-patient rates. This means that after the appointment, if you review your consult note and have questions or think of something you wish you had asked—you can email your genetic counselor and ask!
If you choose to share your information with your doctor/s and your doctor has questions, your genetic counselor will also be available to discuss your care with your doctor.
All of the above services are built in to our prices.
Genetic counselors are healthcare professionals with specialized training in genetics. When you see a genetic counselor at GeneLinx, we take the time to make sure that we are providing you with the most thorough and up-to-date information that is personalized to you.
How should I prepare for my genetics consult?
Gather information about your family health history. It’s helpful to know specific diagnoses and ages at diagnosis. No one has perfect knowledge of their family health history. Diagnoses from past generations or those made in other countries are often hard to confirm. Even knowing what is not known and cannot be found out is also helpful!
If you or someone in your family had genetic testing done, provide a copy of genetic testing results in advance of your appointment. You will have an option to upload test results when booking your appointment.
Can you talk to my doctor about genetic testing for me? Is there any extra charge for this?
With your explicit permission, we are happy to discuss your case your case with your healthcare provider. We recommend that you first share with them a copy of your consult note. We can answer any questions they may have as well as the potential benefits, risks, and limitations of any genetic testing you are interested in having ordered. If genetic testing is ordered, we are happy to review the results with them and discuss the implications for your personalized plan of care.
There is no extra charge for time that may be spent talking with your healthcare provider about your case. We do ask, however, that you have your healthcare reach out to us directly. This keeps us from playing phone tag with office staff.
I would like my partner/family member/friend to join the consult. Is there any extra charge for this?
There is no extra charge if you would like family members (or friends) to join your appointment. Depending on the reason for your appointment, including family members is often ideal. Being able to include multiple family members in a genetics appointment, even if you live far apart from one another, is one key advantage of telemedicine and telegenetics.
Do you offer genetics consults in languages other than English?
If you have requests for other languages, let us know! We are currently growing our Network of Genetic Counselors and may be able to connect you with a genetic counselor who speaks your language.
I am a genetic counselor interested in providing telegenetic consults to patients. Could I work with GeneLinx?
If you are a board certified genetic counselor—and you have a strong, secure, internet connection—the answer is Yes! All genetic counselors working with GeneLinx are independent contractors. We provide you with GDPR-compliant tools to allow you to counsel patients within your area/s of expertise. You set your availability and manage your own calendar. There’s no need to commit to a set schedule or a set number of hours; you can block out or open up times on your calendar on your own. Please fill out our contact form or email us at contact@gene-linx.com
FAQs Carrier screening
Should my partner and I both be on the call?
If possible (and applicable), we would ask that both you and your partner join the appointment – this gives them the opportunity to voice any questions or concerns, and allows our consultant to ask both of you any relevant medical questions.
Do I need to prepare anything before a consultation?
We request you to fill out our family and medical history form sent to your email at least 72 hours in advance and have access to any relevant family history and medical documents or information. This information would help our expert in preparing for the session and assessing your risks.
How long does an initial consultation last?
If all the history and information were provided ahead of the appointment, then an initial consultation should take not more than thirty minutes, with it extending to about forty-five minutes if you choose to proceed with a test as the additional time is required to obtain consent, order the test and schedule the post-test consultation.
What will the consultant ask about?
Our consultant’s goal in the initial consultation is to gain an understanding of your circumstances and medical history, so some of the things they will want to discuss include:
Your goals for treatment
Many patients come to us for assistance in becoming pregnant or building their families, but you may also be looking to learn more about your reproductive health or understand your genetic profile.
Your medical history
Your consultant will need to discuss both your personal medical history and any relevant family history before they can recommend any treatment.
Any previous fertility treatments or investigations
Your consultant will need to understand if you have had any previous fertility treatments or investigations, and what the outcomes of these were.
