Clinical Outcomes for Offering Genetic Testing in a Tiered Approach

Breast and Ovarian Catchment Pilot Grant: Clinical Outcomes for Offering Genetic Testing in a Tiered Approach

This clinical quality improvement study reviews and develops a clinical operations workflow to identify cancer patients who meet criteria for genetic counseling and testing. This study may improve utilization of genetic counseling and testing amongst community-based oncology providers caring for cancer patients in a rural and underserved area.

OUTLINE: Medical oncologists at Olympic Medical Center (OMC) participated in this study and received a peer coaching intervention during phase II to help identify patients who meet criteria for genetic counseling and testing

PHASE I: Patients' medical data are collected; no intervention.

PHASE II: Olympic Medical Center (OMC) patients complete family history questionnaires and their medical data are collected. Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) subject matter experts and OMC providers review patients' medical data at bi-weekly virtual conferences. OMC providers will be consenting to release their patients' medical records to SCCA so that SCCA subject matter experts (cancer geneticist and/or genetic counselor) can identify patients with an underlying hereditary cancer syndrome to be offered genetic counseling and testing.

OMC providers receive coaching from SCCA subject matter experts for guidance on providing genetic counseling and testing to their patients.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Medical oncology providers at OMC who see patients with an active diagnosis of breast, ovarian, prostate, colon, or pancreatic cancer

Exclusion Criteria:

• OMC providers who do not see patients with an active diagnosis of cancer
• OMC providers who see patients who are minors
• OMC providers who see patients with precancerous lesions such as ductal carcinoma in situ (the presence of abnormal cells inside a milk duct in the breast) or colon polyps (a small clump of cells that form on the lining of the colon or rectum)