Three executives from Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger detailed how DNA sequencing helps the health system prevent diseases among its patient population in a recent article for Harvard Business Review.
Standard screening tests — such as colonoscopy, mammography and cholesterol measurement — are adequate for those with an average risk for cancer and heart disease, according to the authors, which included Geisinger President and CEO David T. Feinberg, as well as two other Geisinger executives.
However, for those with genetic profiles that put them at high risk for a condition, physicians must take a more proactive approach. To address this issue, Geisinger officials said the health system launched a DNA sequencing project to identify patients at an increased risk for inherited cancers and cardiac events.
"In our precision health programs, sequencing the known functional parts of the genome for our patients is becoming a clinical reality, not just as a diagnostic test for patients who present particular symptoms, but for all patients in our community," they wrote.
Patients participating in the project undergo DNA sequencing, the clinical results of which are delivered to their primary care physician. To date, Geisinger has identified 500-plus patients at an increased risk for cancer or cardiac events.
Once a patient is flagged as high-risk for cancer or cardiac events, a physician works with the patient to recommend various lifestyle or behavior modifications to reduce their risk of developing the condition.
"Understanding their genome's warning signals is now an essential part of their health forecasting, wellness planning and health management," the authors wrote. "This type of forecasting allows us to provide truly anticipatory 'healthcare,' instead of the responsive 'sick care' that has long been the healthcare system's default," the authors wrote.
To access the Harvard Business Review article, click here.