Investigators at Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger Health System have launched an online portal allowing patients to upload genetic testing results for analysis by the Clinical Genome Resource.
Clinical Genome Resource (ClinGen) is funded by the National Institutes of Health and is dedicated to analyzing data from clinical genetic tests. The patient portal, GenomeConnect, will enhance the ClinGen laboratory database by matching patient-entered health information with clinical laboratory data, creating a comprehensive database providing researchers with better tools for understanding genetic variants.
Patients, in addition to aiding genomic research efforts, will also be able to securely interact with other patients who have also undergone genetic testing.
"A data repository, even one as robust as ClinGen, is just the first piece of the pie when it comes to fully understanding the role genetics play in the prevention of disease and the development of treatments and therapies," said Andrew Faucett, director of policy and education at Geisinger Health System. "By allowing patients to input additional medical information, GenomeConnect is designed to empower patients and allow them to contribute to our understanding of the human genome. Together with patients, we can learn more about the human genome and the ability to re-establish contact with patients and request additional information about their health information is critical to the clinical use of genetic testing."
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