The Next Evolution of Hereditary Cancer Genetic Testing Service Delivery: A Descriptive Study of a Primary Collaborative Care Model for Telegenetics

Abstract

Clinical genetic testing demand has increased in the era of precision medicine. However, availability of cancer genetic services remains limited in the US, prompting a rise in telehealth delivery. This report describes the Penn Telegenetics Program experience using a local healthcare provider collaborative model. From 2018-2025, 473 providers (89.4%) successfully registered. Providers were predominately MD/DO licensed (85.0%). Family medicine was the most frequent speciality (54.3%), followed by internal medicine (20.9%) and clinical oncology (11.8%). Most providers were in suburban locations by zip codes (56.2%), 20.1% were in rural zip codes. Only 56 providers declined collaboration (10.6%); the most common reasons reported were preferring local genetic services (22.5%) and not being comfortable as the ordering provider (22.5%). Our data demonstrate that most local providers are willing to collaborate with a centralized telegenetics program. Refining procedures to increase collaborative care and engagement may provide opportunities to increase access to cancer genetic testing.