A Genetic Consultation Can Benefit Many Different Individuals Such As:
- a diagnosis of a hereditary condition or a hereditary condition in the family
- a personal and/or family history of cancer
- a personal and/or family history of a neurologic condition (e.g., Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Charcot-Marie-Tooth)
- a personal and/or family history of a heart disease (e.g., long QT or Brugada syndrome, dilated or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy)
- an individual or couple wanting to start family planning
- a history of not responding to certain medications or need dosing for specific types of medications
- a genetic test who need additional assistance in interpreting the meaning of the results
What is Involved in a Genetic Consultation?
During the genetic consultation, a detailed medical and family history will be taken to provide a personalized assessment of your risk factors. It will be determined whether you are a candidate for genetic testing and if you are, a discussion will ensue of the risks, benefits and limitations of genetic testing, how genetic testing can impact your medical management as well as a review of your insurance company’s coverage criteria. In some instances, it may be more informative to test a close blood relative rather than yourself.
If you have already had genetic testing and need assistance with interpretation, we will provide all of the services outlined above, except for the testing. However, in some situations, we may recommend a second, more targeted genetic test to confirm your test results.
How is Genetic Testing Performed?
Most genetic tests can be performed on a specimen collected from saliva. For people pursuing genetic testing, a saliva specimen collection kit will be sent to your home and sent to an outside laboratory for analysis. If a blood specimen is required for a specific test, we will work with the outside laboratory to schedule a blood draw in the comfort of your own home. On average, it takes about 2-3 weeks for the test results to come back.
What Should I Bring to My Appointment?
If you have a personal history of a specific condition or cancer, ideally, being able to review any medical records like pathology reports, consultation notes specific to the diagnosis from your physicians or any test results will help with the evaluation. If you or a family member have had genetic testing, it is a requirement for you to bring these results to the appointment; without them, we will not be able to provide an accurate assessment of your risk and/or order genetic testing, if indicated.
Why Choose Us?
We’re a private practice built on quality genetic counseling and testing, not volume. Each patient gets personalized attention via a dedicated genetic counselor from start to finish, not whoever is on shift. We offer night and weekend appointments, not just working hours for more flexibility. We meet with patients via phone or video to make it more convenient to be seen.
How to Get Started
All consultations are performed through telemedicine via phone or through a video chat. This allows our patients to be seen a time that works best for them without traveling to a specific location. This also allows Chicago Genetic Consultants to offer evening and weekend consultations. It is your choice which mode of communication you prefer. If you would like more information about our services or if you are ready to schedule an appointment, please call (888) 725-GENE (4363) or you can Request an Appointment.