Stay at home: Implementation and impact of virtualizing cancer genetic services during COVID-19

Stay at home: Implementation and impact of virtualizing cancer genetic services during COVID-19 discusses the adaptations taken by a mainstay Canadian cancer genetics centre to adapt to physical distancing requirements and continue providing services during the global COVID-19 pandemic. These adaptations included virtualization of patients and staff through implementing electronic patient records, moving all appointments to remote means, and virtualizing administrative processes. These adaptations in service delivery allowed for the same number of patients to be seen during COVID-19 as compared to pre-pandemic. Despite continued availability of cancer genetics services, barriers such as patient willingness to provide blood and thus, longer result wait times, were elicited. Future research will determine the effects of virtual care on genetics services from the perspectives of both patients and providers. (By Maia Norman, https://jmg.bmj.com/content/early/2020/10/16/jmedgenet-2020-107418 )

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