This paper is in the following e-collection/theme issue:

TTRN CPH 2022: "Digital Health beyond COVID-19: Lessons Learned" (37)

Published on in Vol 9 (2023)

Preprints (earlier versions) of this paper are available at https://preprints.jmir.org/preprint/41565, first published .
Effectiveness of Telegenetic Counseling for Patients and Families With Suspected Hereditary Cancer: Systematic Review

Effectiveness of Telegenetic Counseling for Patients and Families With Suspected Hereditary Cancer: Systematic Review

Effectiveness of Telegenetic Counseling for Patients and Families With Suspected Hereditary Cancer: Systematic Review

Authors of this article:

Yuriko Shibuya1 Author Orcid Image ;   Tomoyo Harada1 Author Orcid Image ;   Mikiko Aoki1 Author Orcid Image ;   Erika Ota1, 2 Author Orcid Image ;   Tomoko Kamei1 Author Orcid Image
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    Abstract

    1Graduate School of Nursing Science, St. Luke's International University, Tokyo, Japan

    2Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research, Minato, Tokyo, Japan

    *all authors contributed equally

    Corresponding Author:

    Yuriko Shibuya, RN, MSN

    Graduate School of Nursing Science

    St. Luke's International University

    10-1 Akashi-chou, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

    Tokyo

    Japan

    Phone: 81 03 3543 6391

    Email: 21dn011@slcn.ac.jp


    Background: Telegenetic counseling has attracted attention as a preventive measure against the recent COVID-19 pandemic. This systematic review compared telegenetic counseling using videoconferencing versus face-to-face counseling for hereditary cancer.

    Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of telegenetic counseling using videoconferencing versus face-to-face counseling for people with suspected hereditary cancer.

    Methods: A comprehensive literature search was carried out in December 2021 using the databases of the Japan Medical Abstracts Society, PubMed, CINAHL, PsycInfo, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library. The eligibility criteria were studies in which randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or cluster RCTs were conducted among patients with suspected hereditary cancer and their families, comparing telegenetic counseling using videoconferencing with face-to-face genetic counseling. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool was used to assess the risk of bias of each RCT study. This study was reported according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) guidelines.

    Results: Two studies comprising a total of 191 participants were included and used for meta-analysis. Participants were individuals who lived in rural areas or in areas without genetic counselors and were suspected to have breast, colon, ovarian, multiple, or genetic cancer. All outcomes were assessed in only 1 study and their effects could not be discussed explicitly. In one study, there were no significant differences in satisfaction, psychological distress, or a number of genetic tests between face-to-face genetic counseling and telegenetic counseling. The cost per patient for genetic counseling was $106.19 for the telegenetics group and $244.33 for the in-person group. The risk of bias was high in both studies, with a high risk of performance bias, detection bias, and attrition bias.

    Conclusions: The results of the two RCTs were described qualitatively. However, the evidence is limited because of the small number of RCT studies on telegenetic counseling and the high risk of bias. Further accumulation of studies is needed in the future.

    Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

    iproc 2023;9:e41565

    doi:10.2196/41565

    Keywords

    telegenetics; genetic counseling; hereditary cancer: systematic review 

    Edited by B Dinesen; This is a non–peer-reviewed article. submitted 31.07.22; accepted 19.06.23; published 29.06.23.

    Copyright

    ©Yuriko Shibuya, Tomoyo Harada, Mikiko Aoki, Erika Ota, Tomoko Kamei. Originally published in Iproceedings (https://www.iproc.org), 29.06.2023.

    This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in Iproceedings, is properly cited. The complete bibliographic information, a link to the original publication on https://www.iproc.org/, as well as this copyright and license information must be included.