Program Equips Physicians to Answer Questions on Gene Testing
These days, an increasing number of patients are voluntarily seeking out genetic testing—home gene testing kits are available for purchase online—as a way to be proactive about their health.
“Data from these tests are reliable, but the interpretation is an evolving science,” said Cynthia Morton, PhD, past director of the Biomedical Research Institute (BRI) and director of the Partners Cytogenetics Laboratory. “Diseases are not only controlled by environmental factors and family history but also by other genes; at this point, we simply don’t know about all of those genes, so our ability to interpret some results is limited.”
Physicians, especially those in Primary Care, are often the first people that patients reach out to for help in interpreting the results of home gene tests. To equip physicians better to answer patients’ questions as they explore the complex landscape of genetic information, the BRI Center for Human Genetics and the Center for Faculty Development and Diversity teamed up to offer physicians a six-week course.
This course, along with the OurGenes, OurHealth, OurCommunity® project launched last summer and ongoing work to integrate family medical history into the electronic medical record, helps BWH lead the way for personalized medicine, which is a strategic priority of the BRI.
The Genomic Leadership Program concluded in December after an in-depth look at clinical and educational aspects of genomics, next generation sequencing, genetic counseling and risk assessment. The eight participants also had the opportunity to conduct their own genomic analysis and experience the course material as it related to them personally.
“This is one way to prepare not only for what’s happening with consumer to patient testing, but also the type of clinical testing that we’ll be doing,” said Michael Murray, MD, clinical chief of the Division of Genetics, who organized and taught the course along with Morton, Robert Green, MD, MPH, Raju Kucherlapati, PhD, and Jacqueline Slavik, PhD.
Murray is already planning the next course, which will be offered to staff in charge of residency programs.
“We encourage doctors to take opportunities like this to learn about new styles of testing because patients seem to be increasingly interested in it,” he said.
The Adult Genetics Clinic in the Brigham Medical Specialties Group is available to provide consultations for any patients or providers who have questions about genetic testing results. An appointment can be scheduled at 617-525-8111, or Michael Murray MD, can be reached directly.