Abstract IA27: Remote genetic services to increase access to genetic testing in low resource settings

Abstract

Abstract The hope for precision medicine is to tailor prevention, treatment or screening recommendations for individual patients based on their genotype, which will ultimately result in modified health behaviors (e.g. risk reducing behaviors or screening) and improved patient outcomes. For example, clinical testing for the BRCA1/2 mutations has become a standard-of-care practice as evidence-based cancer prevention strategies (e.g. prophylactic oophorectomy) have been shown to reduce cancer morbidity and mortality. Given the complexity of genetic information and potential for false reassurance and psychosocial distress, genetic counseling has traditionally been delivered in-person. Yet, there is a limited workforce of genetic providers who are generally located in academic and urban centers and this in-person delivery model often requires patients to travel to a potentially distant and unfamiliar medical setting to receive cancer genetic testing with a genetic provider. Some patients proceed with testing without a genetic provider (i.e. with their local physician) or they do not proceed with testing at all. Thus, there remain significant access, time, and patient cost barriers to in-person genetic services that could contribute to disparities in both uptake and outcomes of genetic services. Additionally, emerging obligations to return actionable genetic research findings and expansion of genetic tumor testing are introducing additional demands for genetic services. Thus, as clinically relevant genetic applications increase, innovative delivery models to promote access to cancer genetic education and services are needed both in the clinical and research setting. Alternative models include telephone counseling, real-time two way videoconferencing and utilizing web-based education and portals to increase access. This session will review ongoing and published studies evaluating remote genetic services, including the available evidence, advantages and limitations of phone, videoconference and web-based genetic services. Citation Format: Angela R. Bradbury. Remote genetic services to increase access to genetic testing in low resource settings. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Ninth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2016 Sep 25-28; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017;26(2 Suppl):Abstract nr IA27.