A pilot study of home‐based genetic testing completion rate in telegenetics cancer clinics in West Virginia Appalachia

Abstract

Telegenetics has shifted some genetic testing performance to the patient's own home, with the patient collecting his/her own sample. Little is known regarding the rate of test completion of such home‐based genetic testing. This study compared the completion rate of home‐based genetic tests before and after a reminder system was implemented. In the pre‐reminder group, we reviewed medical records for patients who were seen via telegenetics and agreed to complete genetic testing using an at‐home test kit. In the reminder group, a prospective analysis of the genetic test completion rate was performed taking a clinical quality improvement approach where three reminders were provided for patients who had not submitted their at‐home genetic testing. Our study included 94 patients' records: 46 pre‐reminders and 48 reminders. The lab received 24 patient samples (52.2%) in the pre‐reminder group. In the reminder group, 30 patients returned their kits (62.5%). Despite a higher percentage of patients completing their test in the reminder group, there was no statistically significant difference between the pre‐reminder and reminder groups. The rate of test completion in our pilot test was statistically similar between the two groups, but the reminder group was trending toward a higher percent of completion which may be clinically meaningful.