{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,22]],"date-time":"2025-10-22T02:57:46Z","timestamp":1761101866698,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":20,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"8","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["J Med Genet"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[1990,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>A questionnaire was sent to 84 health visitors to assess their awareness and perception of genetic services and how they perceived their role in the referral of patients. The study showed that while health visitors had a reasonable knowledge of the more obvious aspects of genetic services, there were a number of areas in which they were unsure. The respondents did not identify themselves as prime initiators in the process of referring patients to a genetic service, although they appeared able to identify families on their caseloads for whom this service may be relevant. Health visitors viewed their own knowledge of genetics as poor, a factor which may account for the low referral rate initiated by this group of professionals. The respondents attached importance to genetic issues and 76 (95%) wished to be better informed about the subject. It is suggested that the inclusion of genetics as part of an in-service training programme might fulfil this need and lead to greater advocacy of genetic services among the families in their care. These findings are of interest in view of the proposals within the recent Royal College of Physicians report (Prenatal screening and genetic counselling) suggesting that community genetic services should make use of primary health care workers such as health visitors.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/jmg.27.8.508","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2008,11,10]],"date-time":"2008-11-10T15:11:11Z","timestamp":1226329871000},"page":"508-511","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Health visitors' awareness and perception of clinical genetic services."],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"27","author":[{"given":"P","family":"Guilbert","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"F","family":"Cheater","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[1990,8,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","article-title":"Report of the Clinical Genetics Society Working Party on regional genetics services","volume-title":"Several studies have linked the referral practices of health care professionals with their level of knowledge","volume":"4","author":"Fitzsimmons, J.S.; Baraitser, M.; Davison, B.C.C.","year":"1982","unstructured":"Fitzsimmons JS, Baraitser M, Davison BCC, et al. Report of the Clinical Genetics Society Working Party on regional genetics services. London: Eugenics Society: 1982, suppl 4. Several studies have linked the referral practices of health care professionals with their level of knowledge"},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"417","article-title":"The frequency and financial burden of genetic disease in a pediatric hospital","volume":"1","author":"Hall, J.G.; Powers, E.K.; Mcllvaine, R.T.","year":"1978","unstructured":"Hall JG, Powers EK, Mcllvaine RT. The frequency and financial burden of genetic disease in a pediatric hospital. Am J Med Genet 1978;1:417-36. of genetics.9 8 11 12 The findings of these studies indicated that those who had attended recent basic or","journal-title":"Am J Med Genet; The findings of these studies indicated that those who had attended recent basic or"},{"key":"ref_3","article-title":"attitudes and behaviour. In: Genetic screening: programs, principles and research","author":"Rosenstock, I.M.; Child, B.; Knowledge, Simopoulous A.P.","year":"1975","unstructured":"Rosenstock IM, Child B, Simopoulous AP. Knowledge, attitudes and behaviour. In: Genetic screening: programs, principles and research. Washington DC: National Academy of Sciences, 1975.","journal-title":"Washington DC: National Academy of Sciences"},{"key":"ref_4","first-page":"552","volume":"43","author":"Forsman, I.","year":"1988","unstructured":"Forsman I. Education of nurses in genetics. Am J Hum Genet 1988;43:552-8.","journal-title":"Education of nurses in genetics. Am J Hum Genet"},{"key":"ref_5","volume-title":"Clinical genetics in nursing practice","author":"Cohen, F.L.","year":"1984","unstructured":"Cohen FL. Clinical genetics in nursing practice. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1984."},{"issue":"82","key":"ref_6","article-title":"Prenatal diagnosis and genetic indicated that","volume-title":"did not feel well informed about the subject. The majority of respondents (76, screening","volume":"65","author":"of Physicians, Royal College","year":"1989","unstructured":"Royal College of Physicians. Prenatal diagnosis and genetic indicated that 65 (82%) did not feel well informed about the subject. The majority of respondents (76, screening. London: Royal College of Physicians, 1989."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"304","DOI":"10.1080\/19485565.1975.9988187","article-title":"Genetic screening and genetic counselling: knowledge, attitudes and practices in two groups of family planning 95%) considered genetic issues to be important and professionals","volume":"22","author":"Naylor, E.","year":"1975","unstructured":"Naylor E. Genetic screening and genetic counselling: knowledge, attitudes and practices in two groups of family planning 95%) considered genetic issues to be important and professionals. Soc Biol 1975;22:304-14. wished to be better informed. This perceived lack of","journal-title":"Soc Biol"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"189","DOI":"10.1080\/19485565.1979.9988377","article-title":"Barriers to acceptance of genetic counselling among primary health care physicians","volume":"26","author":"Weitz, R.","year":"1979","unstructured":"Weitz R. Barriers to acceptance of genetic counselling among primary health care physicians. Soc Biol 1979;26:189-97.","journal-title":"Soc Biol"},{"key":"ref_9","first-page":"119","article-title":"Pediatric nurse practitioners' knowledge of genetic disease","volume":"9","author":"Williams, J.K.","year":"1983","unstructured":"Williams JK. Pediatric nurse practitioners' knowledge of genetic disease. Pediatr Nurs 1983;9:119-21. Nearly three-quarters of the respondents (74%) had been in post for more than five years; therefore it was","journal-title":"Pediatr Nurs; Nearly three-quarters of the respondents (74%) had been in post for more than five years; therefore it was"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"151","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2923.1984.tb00995.x","article-title":"Undergraduate teaching of genetics","volume":"18","author":"Young, I.D.","year":"1984","unstructured":"Young ID. Undergraduate teaching of genetics. Med Educ 1984;18: 151-4.","journal-title":"Med Educ"},{"key":"ref_11","first-page":"109","article-title":"Knowledge and perception of haemoglobinosome time since they had trained. Less than a third (23, 31%) had attended study days, conferences, or courses during the last five years which had included genetic information. Many of the health visitors relied on journals to keep them up to date in most aspects of pathy carrier screening among general practitioners in","volume":"26","author":"Shickle, D.; May, A.","year":"1989","unstructured":"Shickle D, May A. Knowledge and perception of haemoglobinosome time since they had trained. Less than a third (23, 31%) had attended study days, conferences, or courses during the last five years which had included genetic information. Many of the health visitors relied on journals to keep them up to date in most aspects of pathy carrier screening among general practitioners in Cardiff. J Med Genet 1989;26:109-12.","journal-title":"Cardiff. J Med Genet"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"98","DOI":"10.3928\/0148-4834-19840301-04","article-title":"Nursing educators; perception of the curricular role of human genetics\/bioethics","volume":"23","author":"Mertens, T.; Hendrix, J.; Norris, M.","year":"1984","unstructured":"Mertens T, Hendrix J, Norris M. Nursing educators; perception of the curricular role of human genetics\/bioethics. J Nurs Educ 1984;23:98-104.","journal-title":"J Nurs Educ"},{"key":"ref_13","first-page":"177","article-title":"Genetics in basic nursing program curricula: a national survey","volume":"13","author":"Monsen, R.B.","year":"1984","unstructured":"Monsen RB. Genetics in basic nursing program curricula: a national survey. Maternal Child Nursingj 1984;13:177-85. their work, but the most commonly read journals (The Health Visitor and Nursing Times) have had limited coverage of developments in genetics.2>22 These findings would suggest that some health visitors, who may have been in post for a considerable time, have","journal-title":"Maternal Child Nursingj; their work, but the most commonly read journals (The Health Visitor and Nursing Times) have had limited coverage of developments in genetics.2>22 These findings would suggest that some health visitors, who may have been in post for a considerable time"},{"issue":"79-1","key":"ref_14","first-page":"19","article-title":"Perspectives in the teaching of human genetics","volume":"2","author":"Davidson, R.G.; Childs, B.","year":"1984","unstructured":"Davidson RG, Childs B. Perspectives in the teaching of human genetics. Ann Hum Genet 1984;2:79-1 19.","journal-title":"Ann Hum Genet"},{"key":"ref_15","article-title":"Education and Training of Health Visitors. An investigation into the principles of health visiting in the United Kingdom","author":"for, Council","year":"1977","unstructured":"Council for Education and Training of Health Visitors. An investigation into the principles of health visiting in the United Kingdom. London: CETHV, 1977."},{"key":"ref_16","article-title":"The health visitor's role in child surveillance: a policy statement","author":"Health Visitors Association","year":"1985","unstructured":"Health Visitors Association. The health visitor's role in child surveillance: a policy statement. London: HVA, 1985."},{"key":"ref_17","first-page":"22","article-title":"Counselling for the future. Nursing Times health care professionals need to be acquainted with current realities in human genetics in order to ensure that clients are receiving correct information on which to base their decision making. In a time of rapid developments in the speciality health visitors may not 1985; 81","author":"Fitzsimmons, E.","unstructured":"Fitzsimmons E. Counselling for the future. Nursing Times health care professionals need to be acquainted with current realities in human genetics in order to ensure that clients are receiving correct information on which to base their decision making. In a time of rapid developments in the speciality health visitors may not 1985;81:22-4."},{"key":"ref_18","first-page":"25","article-title":"Taking the risk","volume":"81","author":"Guilbert, P.R.; Jeavons, B.","year":"1985","unstructured":"Guilbert PR, Jeavons B. Taking the risk. Nursing Times 1985;81: 25-7.","journal-title":"Nursing Times"},{"key":"ref_19","first-page":"53","article-title":"All in the genes","volume":"82","author":"Farnish, S.","year":"1986","unstructured":"Farnish S. All in the genes. Nursing Times 1986;82:53-5.","journal-title":"Nursing Times"},{"key":"ref_20","first-page":"15","article-title":"Education needs of professionals","volume-title":"disorders and birth defects in families and society","volume":"20","author":"Motuisky, A.","year":"1984","unstructured":"Motuisky A. Education needs of professionals. In Weiss J, Bernhardt B, Paul N, eds. Genetic disorders and birth defects in families and society. New York: Alan R Liss, 1984;20:15-37."}],"container-title":["Journal of Medical Genetics"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.1136\/jmg.27.8.508","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,18]],"date-time":"2025-10-18T04:33:10Z","timestamp":1760761990000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/jmg.bmj.com\/lookup\/doi\/10.1136\/jmg.27.8.508"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[1990,8]]},"references-count":20,"journal-issue":{"issue":"8","published-online":{"date-parts":[[1990,8,1]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[1990,8]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1136\/jmg.27.8.508"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/jmg.27.8.508","relation":{},"ISSN":["0022-2593","1468-6244"],"issn-type":[{"type":"print","value":"0022-2593"},{"type":"electronic","value":"1468-6244"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[1990,8]]}}}