The healthcare system OhioHealth is offering Athens, Ohio-based patients access to genetic testing for cancer through a telemedicine program, according to Athens Messenger.
The program, funded by a $45,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation, allows patients at Athens-based OhioHealth O'Bleness Hospital to schedule video conference appointments with Michelle Hall, a licensed genetic counselor at Columbus-based OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital. Prior to this program, an Athens resident would have had to travel more than an hour to reach Riverside Methodist Hospital for genetic testing.
During a telemedicine appointment, Ms. Hall creates a pedigree chart using the patient's medical history, to help them understand their genetic risk factors. These findings are meant to help patients inform their future healthcare choices.