Health System Implements Genomics Tool to Enhance Precision Medicine
Missouri-based Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare has partnered with MEDITECH to integrate genomics into the care continuum.
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By - Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare (GVMH) in Clinton, Missouri, has partnered with Massachusetts-based electronic health record (EHR) company MEDITECH to utilize genomics in patient care.
To bolster the integration of genetic data into the care experience, GVMH is deploying MEDITECH’s Expanse Genomics, an EHR-based solution that allows clinicians to collect, store, and present genomic information for use at point-of-care.
“Having a patient’s full genetic medical history at your fingertips is essential to effectively treating the patient and delivering a more personalized care experience,” said Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare Chief Medical Information Officer William Dailey, MD, in the press release. “Expanse Genomics is an intuitive solution that provides our clinicians with actionable data for each patient when they need it, and it creates a clear path equipped with clinical decision support tools necessary to make informed decisions.”
GVMH is an early adopter of Expanse Genomics, and it aims to use the platform to improve the delivery of precision medicine by tailoring care plans to an individual patient’s genetic profile. Clinicians can order genetic testing, receive the results, and get pharmacogenomic clinical decision support within the Expanse platform. The information is stored in a codified format with full PDF reports available in the patient’s EHR. According to the press release, tailoring patient care in this way can help patients pay less for more accurate treatment.
“Although we are at the beginning stages of utilizing the genomics module, we are very excited to see the added benefits of pharmacogenomics conflict checking and the interfacing of the complete PDF directly into the EMR,” stated Ann Kraft, a GVMH medical technologist, in the press release. “It has been markedly beneficial to view genomics results under the genetics tab, and it has made finding results in the EMR seamless.”
GVMH’s Cancer Center will also use Expanse Genomics to improve cancer care. Genetic variables such as a patient’s predisposition to various diseases, their body’s ability to metabolize different medications, and the characteristics of a tumor are important considerations throughout cancer treatment. By using them, clinicians hope to yield better patient outcomes.
Research suggests that genomics data can potentially advance precision medicine efforts significantly. A clinical trial out of Indiana University aims to create personalized treatment therapies for patients with triple-negative breast cancer using their genetic data. The researchers based the trial on data indicating that the presence of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the blood plasma of patients who underwent chemotherapy before surgery for triple-negative breast cancer treatment could potentially predict disease recurrence.
The trial’s 200 participants were tested for the presence of ctDNA in the blood, and those with positive results had their blood and tumor DNA further examined for genetic differences that could be treated with a genomically targeted treatment or a standard treatment. Patients with positive results, without a specific genomic target in the blood or cancer tissue, received standard treatment recommended by the patient’s doctor, as did those with negative results.
The trial is ongoing, with researchers planning to follow participants for up to five years to evaluate the side effects of treatment and cancer recurrence rates across the groups.
