随着互联网的普及, 网络用户已习惯从网上获取相关资讯, 包括求医问药。由于我国的临床遗传学体系尚未完全建立, 许多遗传病患者或遗传咨询者无法得到较为专业的知识和咨询服务。为此, 建立了中国首个提供常见遗传病科普和网上遗传咨询服务的公益性网站—中国遗传咨询网(http://www.gcnet.org.cn)。该网站主要介绍遗传病的基本知识以及常见遗传病的一般情况、临床表现、诊断与防治方法、遗传方式与遗传咨询要点等。通过组织国内外50多名遗传咨询医师或医学遗传学专家, 就咨询者关心的问题, 进行一般性咨询答复, 或指导咨询者就诊。在线遗传咨询是网络时代的一种新型的方式。该网站的运行在一定程度上弥补了我国现有遗传咨询工作的不足, 有助于推动我国临床遗传学、遗传教育和人口与健康事业的发展。

In April 2005, with the voluntary involvement of more than 50 worldwide genetic counselors or medical geneticists, we developed a website for online genetic counseling and genetic education on common genetic disease throughout China (http://www.gcnet.org.cn). This website is offering professional online genetic counseling, as well as providing information about common genetic diseases which is a resource for genetic counselors and online genetic counselees. Online genetic counseling is an alternative method to the widely accepted face-to-face counseling. The data warehouse of China Genetic Counseling Network (CGCN) will be a unique supplement to current status of Clinical Genetics and healthcare system in China.