Research conducted by a partnership between the Coriell Personalized Medicine Collaborative (CPMC) study and the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center examines the significance of genomic counseling, as it relates to the patient-physician exchange.
Summarized in the June edition of "Clinical Genetics," the publication, titled, "EMR Documentation of Physician-Patient Communication Following Genomic Counseling for Actionable Complex Disease and Pharmacogenomic Results," is a pilot study that examined the electronic medical records of study participants who had received nine personalized genomic risk reports over a period of time and were randomized to either receive genomic counseling within a month of viewing results or opt-in to genomic counseling three months after viewing results (control group).
The research group set out to determine whether available genetic counseling influenced whether or not individuals communicated with their doctors about their genomic risk for complex disease.
Findings determined that patients provided with in-person genetic counseling at any point in time were more likely to discuss the results – and the associated potentially actionable genomic risk information – with a physician, as compared to the control group who did not have genomic counseling.
To access the full publication, click here.
