Characterizing Genetic Counselors' Early Experiences of AI in Clinical Practice: Colleen Caleshu, MSc, CGC

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"Many places that employ genetic counselors have tools that are available in their system, one of the most common ones being ambient recording and transcription of clinical appointments to write clinical notes for documentation. But there are many others, and often these tools are almost always not made specifically for genetic counseling practice."

At the 44th National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) Annual Conference, held November 6-10, 2025, in Seattle, Washington, a session titled “Healthcare Administrative AI Tools in Practice: Implementation Insights from Early Adopters,” focused on the growing use of AI technologies in genetic counseling. As health systems increasingly adopt administrative AI tools, early users from a range of settings in the clinical practice shared their real-world experiences with institution-provided solutions aimed at streamlining tasks such as clinical documentation, patient communication, and referral processes.

Through a series of brief presentations and an implementation planning exercise, the session highlighted practical considerations for selecting, integrating, and optimizing AI tools in genetic counseling workflows. Coordinated and moderated by Colleen Caleshu, MSc, CGC, senior director of research and real-world data at Genome Medical, the presented content was designed to offer applicable guidance for genetic counselors interested in leveraging AI to improve efficiency and reduce administrative workload, regardless of prior experience with these technologies.

In an interview with our sister publication CGTLive®, Caleshu further described how early adopters are incorporating AI into routine practice, particularly for documentation support. She noted that although AI tools are increasingly accessible and may help reduce burnout and administrative burden, most are not tailored specifically to genetic counseling, necessitating careful evaluation by clinicians. In addition, Caleshu emphasized the importance of assessing validation, understanding tool limitations, and considering potential bias and equity implications. Continued clinician oversight, she noted, might remain essential as generative AI outputs can be incorrect or clinically inappropriate without human review.

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REFERENCE
1. Caleshu C, et al. Healthcare Administrative Al Tools in Practice: Implementation Insights from Early Adopters. Presented at: 2025 NSGC Annual Conference; November 6-10; Seattle, Washington.