Family Medicine Notes

Mike Arrington posted his 23andMe DNA Results - and I'm (finally) convinced that genetics are on the brink of becoming relevant to primary care medicine. Within a half-decade, these tests will be generally available, and within a decade, it wouldn't surprise me if insurance companies considered such testing appropriate and reimbursable. THe key challenge will be for the EMR vendors to incorporate these results into action-able rules that help support evidence-based care.  There will be no other way for us to use these tests - as there is no way that any human will be able to remember all of the possible genetic variations - or their clinical implications. Many ethical considerations to follow, of course.

Tags: Genetics