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Genetic counselors strive to provide high‐quality genetic services. To do so, it is essential to define quality in genetic counseling and identify opportunities for improvement. This Professional Issues article provides an overview of the evaluation of healthcare quality in genetic counseling. The National Society of Genetic Counselors' Research, Quality, and Outcomes Committee partnered with Discern Health, a value‐based healthcare policy consulting firm, to develop a care continuum model of genetic counseling. Using the proposed model, currently available quality measures relevant to genetic counseling in the US healthcare system were assessed, allowing for the identification of gaps and priority areas for further development. A total of 560 quality measures were identified that can be applied to various aspects of the care continuum model across a range of clinical specialty areas in genetic counseling, although few measures were specific to genetic counseling or genetic conditions. Areas where quality measures were lacking included: attitudes toward genetic testing, family communication, stigma, and issues of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. We discuss these findings and other strategies for an evidence‐based approach to quality in genetic counseling. Strategic directions for the genetic counseling profession should include a consolidated approach to research on quality and value of genetic counseling, development of quality metrics and patient‐experience measures, and engagement with other improvement activities. These strategies will allow for benchmarking, performance improvement, and future implementation in accountability programs which will strengthen genetic counseling as a profession that provides evidence‐based high‐quality care to all patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of available genetic testing options and the nuances associated with these options continue to expand. In addition, the scope of genetic testing has broadened to areas and specialties beyond Medical Genetics. In response to these changes, diagnostic laboratories have employed genetic counselors to help navigate the increasing complexity of genetic testing, given their expertise and training in human genetics. However a largely unrecognized aspect of this role involves the use of counseling skills. Counseling skills are used by laboratory genetic counselors in a variety of situations to convey information and facilitate understanding among clinicians and medical staff. This helps to reduce test ordering errors, promote optimal test utilization, and ensure best patient care practices. The specific counseling skills used by laboratory counselors will be explored using three fictional case vignettes, followed by a discussion of the applicability of these skills in other contexts. Exploration of the unique ways in which laboratory genetic counselors apply their counseling skills can be useful for professional development and instructive for graduate training programs.