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Highly valued across the world by genetic counsellors, medical geneticists and other healthcare professionals, Harper's Practical Genetic Counselling has established itself over previous editions as the essential guide to counselling those at risk from inherited disorders.Fully revised by its new author Angus Clarke, and with additional input from colleagues, this eighth edition provides indispensable and up-to-date guidance, helping readers to navigate the profusion of new information in this area and the associated psychosocial and ethical considerations and concerns. Maintaining the trusted framework of earlier editions, the update presents the latest information on the use and interpretation of genetic test results, including new genomebased investigations and their application in the genetic counselling process. This book will help both the student and the practitioner, as genetic and genomic investigations become progressively more relevant to all healthcare professionals with the mainstreaming of genetics across the full range of medical practice.The eighth edition of this best-selling text will continue to be an essential source of reference for trainee and practitioner genetic counsellors and medical geneticists, for clinicians and nurses working in mainstream specialties who increasingly are dealing with the genetic aspects of disease, and for practitioners working in settings where referral to a genetics specialist is not readily available. It also provides invaluable background for other healthcare professionals, counsellors, social scientists, ethicists and genetics laboratory staff.

Advances in molecular genetics have led to the increasing availability of genetic testing for a variety of inherited disorders. While this new knowledge presents many obvious health benefits to prospective individuals and their families it also raises complex ethical and moral dilemmas for families as well as genetic professionals. This book explores the ways in which genetic testing generates not only probabilities of potential futures, but also enjoys new forms of social, individual and professional responsibility. Concerns about confidentiality and informed consent involving children, the assessment of competence and maturity, the ability to engage in shared decision-making through acts of disclosure and choice, are just some of the issues that are examined in detail.