Precision Medicine

The electronic health record giant continues to expand its roster of genomic and precision medicine collaborators.

Myriad Genetics is working with Epic to integrate its genetic test technology into the electronic health records used by more than 600,000 physicians. WHY IT MATTERS The integration enables end-to-end workflows for healthcare providers to order Myriad tests and review their results directly within their everyday Epic platforms, without the need for more steps or manual ordering processes. The ability to do so natively in Epic will give providers genetic insights for more personalized care – and patients will be able to easily access their test results and other health information directly within their MyChart portals. Myriad says it is focusing on more new customer-centric, tech-enabled tools to make the genetic testing process easier for patients and clinicians, such as the recent launch of its Precise Oncology suite of tools. With those technologies, providers can now place a single order for multiple Myriad tests and receive timely results through a unified online portal. With the Epic collaboration, the company is broadening its efforts to help physicians and health systems gain access to genetic testing faster and more conveniently. "Simplifying the process of genetic testing by making it more accessible and interoperable with electronic health records is a key component of our mission to advance health and well-being for all," Myriad President and CEO Paul J. Diaz said in a statement. THE LARGER TREND This is the second such announcement involving Epic in recent months. In April, Guardant Health, which develops technologies for precision oncology, announced its own collaboration with Epic to integrate its tools within the EHR workflow. The integration will streamline clinicians' ability to order Guardant cancer tests. And this past August, Foundation Medicine announced a deal with Epic to integrate its genomic profiling and testing services. While precision medicine is still in the learning stage for many U.S. health systems, some are ahead of the curve and are using Epic to manage their genomics initiatives. In 2018, we showed how NorthShore, long ahead of the curve in working genetics into its care plans, is advancing its personalized medicine primary care model with its EHR. ON THE RECORD "Genetic testing and precision medicine save lives," said Alan Hutchison, vice president of population health at Epic. "Through this relationship, we're bringing genetic insights to the point of care at scale, giving providers and patients the information they need to make more timely, informed decisions." "Our collaboration with Epic reflects our strategy to partner with other healthcare industry leaders so we can advance precision medicine together. Increasing access to genetic insights and integrating our tests into Epic's vast network of healthcare systems represents a significant step forward to better serve patients and healthcare providers," said Diaz. Twitter: @MikeMiliardHITN Email the writer: mike.miliard@himssmedia.com Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS publication.

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