Telemedicine vs. Face-to-Face Cancer Genetic Counseling

Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome, Lynch Syndrome

Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer syndrome, genetic counseling, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, telemedicine, Cancer genetic counseling

Cancer genetic counseling (CGC) has been found to have substantial benefits for individuals with breast cancer and their family members; it has been deemed by multiple organizations as standard of care for women with breast cancer and their relatives. Unfortunately, there is a disparity in access to CGC, especially among women who live in rural and underserved areas. In North Carolina, only two cancer genetic counselors practice in rural clinics - each only for a few days per month. Therefore, in an effort to make CGC more widely available in a timely manner, we propose to test provision of counseling through telemedicine (TM), in which a patient and health care provider communicate with each other using videoconferencing. In 4 rural oncology clinics, we will implement low-cost TM and compare satisfaction and cost-effectiveness between groups of women designated to have their CGC session by TM or FTF. We'll use a validated measure to assess satisfaction by a phone survey one week after the CGC appointment; cost-effectiveness will be measured at project's end by calculating length of wait time for appointment and costs of equipment, labor, and mileage. Study hypothesis: TM is as satisfactory as FTF counseling and is a more cost-effective way to provide this beneficial service.

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United States