Geneticists and genetic counselors are in short supply. The shortage has even been a bottleneck for expanded clinical use of large molecular panels and whole-exome sequencing, which require patient counseling. It has been presumed that increasing the workforce capacity of these genetics experts, could remove workforce issues as a barrier to testing and increase comfort among nongenetics specialists ordering and counseling patients about results of complex, genetic tests. The annual conference of the National Society of Genetic Counselors was held Sept. 13-16 in Columbus, Ohio. Many presentations focused on how to expand workforce capacity in order to improve access to services. Below is a sampling of studies that examined alternative strategies, including webbased, on-demand, and telemedicine options, to extend the reach of genetic counselors in clinical settings. Web-Based Education about Exome Sequencing Okay The best "full member" abstract award at the conference went to researchers at the National Human Genome Research Institute who tested a web-based alternative to in-person carrier results return. They designed a web platform that integrated education regarding carrier results with individualized test results. A total of 462 participants were randomized to receive either web-based or counselor-delivered results. One to seven carrier results were returned to each […]