"Routine DNA Screening Moves Into Primary Care" - Michelle Andrews
If you have a genetic mutation that increases your risk for a treatable medical condition, would you want to know? For many people the answer is yes. But typically such information has not been a part of routine primary care. A survey published in the journal Health Affairs this month queried nearly 500 primary care providers in the New York City area and found that, in the past year, only a third of them had order a genetic test, given patients a genetic test result of referred someone for genetic counseling. Only a quarter of the survey respondents said they felt prepared to work with patients who had genetic testing for common diseases or were at high risk for genetic conditions. Just 14 percent reported they were confident they could interpret genetic test results. “Even though they had training, they felt unprepared to incorporate genomics into their practice,” said Carol Horowitz, MD, professor of population health science and policy at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, who co-authored the study. A busy primary care practitioner herself, Dr. Horowitz questions the feasibility of adding genomic medicine to regular office visits.
- Carol R. Horowitz, MD, Professor, Population Health Science and Policy, Medicine, General Internal Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai