Telegenetics or In-Person Genetic Counselling

This study will compare the patient-reported outcomes of telegenetics with in-person consultations for participants considering germline testing for HBOC or Lynch syndrome. It will clarify if telegenetics is a feasible and non-inferior alternative to in-person cancer genetic counselling. Participant responses are important stakeholder views to guide the design of telegenetics to become a mainstream service delivery model welcomed by patients.

It aims to recruit 150 prospective consecutive patients attending genetic counselling for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC) and Lynch Syndrome in Clinical Genetic Services (CGS) at National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS).

Upon completion of the genetic consultation appointments, patients will be completing a series of questions evaluating cognitive and psychosocial outcomes either via hardcopy in-person or online internet-facing questionnaire.

Inclusion criteria

• Age ≥ 21 years old.
• Patients referred to CGS at NCCS for HBOC or Lynch syndrome pre-test genetic counselling.
• Able to read and understand the English Language.
• Able to consent and agree to be randomized to either telegenetics or in-person genetic counselling.

Exclusion criteria

• Under the age of 21 years old.
• Patients who require genetic results urgently.
• Cognitive difficulty/ impairment or current psychiatric or physical illness (visual/ hearing/ neurological) which impairs sound judgement and accurate reporting of medical history over video consultation.