Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Telegenetic counselling: genetic advice without the travel | CION Cancer Clinics
Genetic counselling no longer needs a trip to a city clinic for every conversation. A telegenetic appointment lets you talk to a counsellor by video or phone, while the actual blood or saliva sample is still collected nearby. This page explains how a remote session runs, what to prepare, and when an in-person visit is still needed. At CION Cancer Clinics in Hyderabad, our oncologists review your family history with you and guide you to the right genetic counselling and testing.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- Can genetic counselling really happen without a clinic visit?
- How a telegenetic appointment is actually run
- What to set up before your video appointment
- Telegenetic counselling, in plain language
- In-person versus telegenetic: what actually differs
- When telegenetic counselling is not the right fit
- Four things people assume about remote counselling
- Common questions about telegenetic counselling
Counselling by video or phone
Can genetic counselling really happen without a clinic visit?
Yes, and for most of the conversation it works just as well. Telegenetic counselling means your session happens over video call or phone instead of in person, with the same counsellor asking the same questions about your family history. The sample for testing is still taken locally, so it is not a fully remote process, only the talking part.
Why clinics offer it at all
Genetic counsellors are few, and most are based in a handful of cities. A family from a district several hours away used to have to travel twice, once to talk and once to test. A video appointment removes one of those trips entirely.
What still needs you in a room somewhere
Giving a blood or saliva sample requires a local lab or hospital, and a physical exam, if one is needed, cannot be done over a screen. Your counsellor will tell you exactly which parts can stay remote and which cannot. Most families end up with one short local visit for the sample and everything else handled from home, which is still a real change from the two full clinic trips a fully in-person pathway used to need.
Ask whether your nearest CION centre or an affiliated lab can draw the sample even if the counselling itself is remote.Before, during, after
How a telegenetic appointment is actually run
The structure is the same as an in-person session; only the room changes.
Before the call
You are usually sent a short family history form to fill in beforehand, so the call is not spent writing down names for the first time.
During the call
The counsellor draws your family tree on their screen while talking to you, and shares it so you can check it is correct as you go.
Arranging the sample
If testing is agreed, you are directed to the nearest centre that can draw blood or provide a saliva kit, which is then sent to the same laboratory.
The result call
Results are usually also given by video, so you can ask questions in real time rather than reading a report alone.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistGetting ready
What to set up before your video appointment
A quiet room and a stable connection
You will be talking about sensitive family history, so a room where you will not be interrupted matters more than a good camera.
Reports gathered in one place
Photograph or scan any biopsy, pathology or earlier genetic reports so you can share your screen or send them ahead.
A pen and paper nearby
For names, ages at diagnosis and any questions that come up partway through that you do not want to forget.
Whoever should be in the room
A spouse, sibling or adult child can join the same call. Tell the clinic beforehand so the counsellor is not caught unprepared.
Terms you will hear
Telegenetic counselling, in plain language
- Telegenetics
- Genetic counselling delivered remotely, by video or phone, instead of in a clinic room.
- Hybrid model
- Counselling by video with the sample collected locally, the most common arrangement in India today.
- Pre-test counselling
- The conversation before testing, which decides whether a test is appropriate at all. This is the part most often done remotely.
- Local collection point
- A hospital or lab near you that draws the sample and forwards it to the counselling clinic's laboratory.
- Result disclosure call
- The video or phone call in which your result is explained, ideally with the same counsellor who took your history.
Leave a number, we will call you
One field. No form to fill in, and no charge for the call.
Weighing it up
In-person versus telegenetic: what actually differs
In-person visit
Telegenetic appointment
Requires travel to a city clinic
Held from home or a nearby centre
Family tree drawn on paper in the room
Drawn on screen and shared with you directly
Sample usually taken the same visit
Sample arranged for a separate local visit
A physical exam can be done if needed
A physical exam is arranged separately if it is needed
Being straight with you
When telegenetic counselling is not the right fit
A remote call struggles when a family history is very complicated, or when several relatives need to be looped in and speak different first languages. In those cases an in-person session, sometimes with a translator or a second family member physically present, works better than a screen.
It cannot replace a physical exam
Some inherited syndromes are suspected partly from physical signs a counsellor or geneticist needs to see and sometimes touch in person. If your case involves this, you will be asked to attend at least one in-person visit alongside the video sessions.
Who this does not suit
If you struggle with video calls, have very poor internet where you live, or simply prefer to sit across a table from the person explaining your results, say so. A clinic can usually offer a phone-only version or book you in for the next in-person slot instead. Older relatives in particular sometimes find a screen distracting during a conversation this personal, and there is no obligation to choose the remote option just because it was offered first.
If a call drops or the connection is too poor to continue, the appointment is rescheduled rather than rushed.Commonly believed
Four things people assume about remote counselling
"A video call cannot be as thorough as a real appointment."
The same questions get asked, the same family tree gets drawn, and the same time is set aside. What changes is the room, not the depth of the conversation.
"I still have to travel for the blood test, so what did I save?"
Usually one long trip to a city clinic becomes one short trip to a nearby lab. For a family several hours from the nearest genetics clinic, that difference is significant.
"My result will be less private over video."
The same confidentiality rules apply whether you are in a clinic room or on a call. Choosing a private room at your end protects you the same way a closed clinic door does.
"Telegenetic counselling is only for people abroad."
It was built for exactly the opposite situation: a family in a Telangana district who cannot easily reach a city-based genetics clinic for a first conversation.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about telegenetic counselling
Do I need any special app for the video call?
No. Clinics generally use ordinary video call tools you already have on your phone or computer. You will be sent a link before the appointment, and a staff member can call you if it does not open.
Can the result also be given by video?
Yes, most clinics prefer this so you can ask questions as they come up rather than reading alone. Some families choose to receive it in writing first and then discuss it by call, which is also fine to request.
What if my internet keeps failing during the call?
A phone call can usually replace video without losing anything important. If the connection is too unreliable throughout, the counsellor will offer to continue by phone or reschedule for an in-person session.
Is telegenetic counselling more expensive?
It removes a travel cost rather than adding one, since it is the same counselling service delivered differently. Ask the clinic to confirm charges before you book, as this can vary by centre.
Can relatives in different cities join the same call?
Yes, this is one of the main advantages. A sibling working in another state and a parent at home can join the same video appointment, which is far harder to arrange for a single in-person visit.
Will I still need to visit a clinic in person at all?
Almost always, at least once, to give the sample for testing. Some cases involving a physical exam also need one in-person visit. Everything else can usually stay remote if you prefer.
Is telegenetic counselling available in Telugu?
Ask when you book. Availability depends on which counsellor is scheduled for your appointment, and clinics will try to match you with someone who can speak your preferred language.
How do I request a telegenetic appointment instead of an in-person one?
Say so when you book, or ask your referring doctor to note it on the referral. Call the CION helpline if you are not sure how to arrange it; one helpline serves every centre.
Your Specialists
Meet CION's oncologists. Bring your family history or genetic report to them.
Our medical oncologists see people with a strong family history of cancer, arrange genetic counselling and testing where it fits, and plan the checks that follow.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
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Sources
- National Cancer Institute — Genetic Testing for Inherited Cancer Susceptibility Syndromes
- MedlinePlus Genetics — How can I find a genetic counselor?
- NHS — Predictive genetic tests for cancer risk genes
- Cancer Research UK — Genetic testing for cancer risk genes
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
What a genetic counsellor doesWho you will be speaking to on the callHow to find a genetic counsellor in IndiaWhere telegenetic sessions are usually booked fromGenetic counselling in TeluguLanguage options for a remote appointmentBooking a genetic counselling appointmentThe practical steps to get a first session on the calendar
Talk to us
Would a video appointment work better for your family?
Tell us your nearest centre and we will check whether telegenetic counselling is available for your first session. One helpline serves every CION centre.