In addition to seeing patients in-person in the cancer center, UT Southwestern is seeking ways to expand beyond the boundaries of the cancer center to offer genetic counseling services to much of North Texas. UT Southwestern was the first group in the state of Texas to use telemedicine to serve patients in rural counties.
Today, through telemedicine, we now offer cancer genetics services to patients in 21 rural counties west of Fort Worth, with telemedicine sites located in Weatherford, Burleson, and Lake Granbury. In addition, through telemedicine available on the Mobile Cancer Survivor Clinic that travels to 21 counties, we provide counseling to even more previously unreachable patients. Prior to 2011, genetic services were not available in these counties; since then, we’ve seen more than 400 patients.
