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Why We Can’t Wait: A Public Health Approach to Health Disparities in Genomic Medicine
In May 2013, I attended and presented at the “Why We Can’t Wait Conference to Eliminate Health Disparities in Genomic Medicine.” The conference was organized by the University of Miami and Stanford University, with attendees and speakers from academia, consumer organizations, government agencies, public health, clinical practice, and the private sector. A key rationale for Read More >
Posted on byHow Can We Use Genetic Testing in Population Screening for Common Diseases?
Scientific and implementation challenges Population screening for disease is a concept that has been around for many decades. Its main purpose is early detection and treatment of asymptomatic disease, or risk assessment and prevention of future disease, in order to improve health outcomes in individuals and populations. Examples include mammography in breast cancer screening and Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentPublic Health Genomics: 15 Years On
In 2012, the United States and the United Kingdom marked 15 years of public health genomics, a multidisciplinary field that deals with the effective and responsible translation of genome-based science to improve population health. Fifteen years ago, a new era of personalized healthcare and disease prevention seemed only around the corner. However, the promise of Read More >
Posted on byFrom Genetic Counseling in Individuals to Cascade Screening in Populations: An Emerging Role for Public Health Practice
There are more than 2500 diseases for which genetic testing is currently available. Most of these diseases are individually rare conditions but collectively affect millions of individuals and families worldwide. Genetic diseases are usually caused by mutations in one or a few genes that may confer a high risk of illness, disability and early death. Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentWhat Gets Measured Gets Done: Genomics, Surveillance Indicators and Healthy People 2020
Public health surveillance indicators, such as those developed for the Healthy People initiative are useful for monitoring the development of genomic medicine in the United States. For several decades, Healthy People has established health benchmarks that are considered important metrics for tracking progress in health and healthcare in the United States. Read More >
Posted on byThink After You Spit: Personal Genomic Tests May Offer a Teachable Moment
Personal genomic tests are now widely available and sold directly to consumers, but population-based data are limited on awareness, use and impact of these tests. In collaboration with 4 state public health genomics programs, we have recently reported on consumer awareness and use of personal genomic tests using the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentPeeling the Pyramid, Scaling the Onion—How to Implement Genomic Medicine
In spite of the promise of genomics and related technologies for a new era of precision healthcare and disease prevention, only a handful of genomic tests and applications have been recommended for use in clinical practice. Nevertheless, implementation of even the few recommended genomic tests is lagging. For example, implementing the 2005 USPSTF recommendation on genetic Read More >
Posted on byGenomic Tests and Population Health: An Online Catalog to Promote a Conversation on Evolving Evidence
With the rapid emergence of genomic tests, healthcare providers, patients and policy makers need to know how useful they are and whether the benefits of their use outweigh potential harms to patients, families, and the population. CDC’s Office of Public Health Genomics now offers a list of health-related genomic tests and applications, stratified into Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsUshering Public Health Practice into the 21st Century
The April 2012 special issue of the journal Public Health Genomics includes 13 articles from the many presentations at the 4th National Conference on Genomics and Public Health in the United States: “Using Genetic Information to Improve Health Now and In the Future”. The three-day conference sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Read More >
Posted on byThe Public Health Approach to Genetic Testing in the 21st Century: Saving Lives and Saving Unnecessary Healthcare Costs
In March 2012, a prominent health insurer in the United States released a white paper entitled: “Personalized Medicine: trends and prospects for the new science of genetic testing and molecular diagnostics” By analyzing their own claims data, the report suggests that in 2010, the cost of genetic and molecular diagnostic testing for its members was about $500 Read More >
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