How to Utilize DNA Analytics to Guide Patient Care

Finding new and effective ways to encourage patients to consistently follow a diet or program can be difficult. Especially when treatment options tend to be generic instead of patient specific. Many patients may also be reluctant to start a new plan if they don’t completely understand why it applies to them or how it will improve their health in the long-run.

But, what if we told you that you could take a patient’s DNA and use that data to analyze what specific care instructions should be prescribed to that patient? We sat down with an expert to discover exactly that.

Recently, the BodySite team hosted a webinar with Scott Thompson, Chief Operating Officer of Genetic Direction. Scott has more than 25 years of experience in business technology as an entrepreneur, a technology consultant, and as a part of the population health management industry.

Scott and his team started Genetic Direction for one simple reason: “to help people live better, healthier lives”. Their mission is to improve individuals’ lives by evaluating their DNA and delivering personalized health management programs. Genetic Direction focuses more on the preventative side rather than genetic testing around disease.

They partner with healthcare professionals to offer co-branded or private label genetic testing programs to engage with clients and patients and personalize their experiences. Their programs include DNA Swab Kits (or 23andMe/AncestryDNA data), Interactive Reports, Printable Reports, Telehealth Sessions, and an Affiliate Back Office Portal.

Throughout the webinar, we talked about how using genetic testing in your practice can help you guide patient care. We had a great discussion about how it can be a great tool and a great addition to any practice and wanted to share it.

 

Evaluating the DNA of patients and delivering personalized health management programs based on the results can be a big step in the world of preventative health. There is a significant amount of science and research that supports the use of genetic testing when it comes to understanding genes that can affect aspects of an individual’s lifestyle and wellness.

Scott went through the process of using genetic testing to engage one-on-one with clients and patients in order to personalize their healthcare experiences.

Patients start by receiving a DNA swab kit to collect their DNA data or alternatively using previously collected DNA data from programs such as 23andMe or AncestryDNA. This way, patients can be completely sure that this is their own DNA being used to create their personalized programs.

Once their DNA data has been analyzed, patients are provided with either printable reports, interactive reports, or both. Scott emphasized that the reports are formed with the patient in mind for readability. Everything that is given to patient through the reports are easy to take in and understand.

Each report provides patients with their traits, and each trait has a certain number of outcomes. Scott says these outcomes are “completely driven by the science” which gives some credibility. The majority of traits have three possible outcomes. However, some can have two possible outcomes, and some can have more than three.

The reports provide the outcomes for the traits, what it means for the individual, and recommendations based on what the trait is covering (e.g. diet, lifestyle, etc.). Each report also has a sidebar with high-level information about the genes that are being tested along with high-level research that was used to develop the trait.

One of the most important parts about using genetic testing to guide patient care will be ensuring that the patient trusts the process and is sure that their results are clinically valid, which is why the sidebar with trustworthy information and research is so crucial.

Scott made sure to inform us that “all genetic marker selection, algorithm development, and outcomes/recommendations are based on NIH-funded, high quality, peer reviewed research published in respected scientific journals”. This way, patients can understand that the research is viable and useful in creating their personalized healthcare experiences.

These reports typically have about two pages of content per trait with simplified explanation of what each one means. Below is a sample report explaining what an individual’s genes mean for them and their health. As you can see, it’s reported in a language that is easy for the individual to understand and make sense of.

The reports can also be customized to your liking. For example, a certain product that you are promoting or selling can be added into the report as a recommendation based off of the results shown in the report.

Scott says that products can be recommended by trait (e.g. “Vitamin B12 Tendency) or trait outcome (e.g. Vitamin B12 Tendency = Low).   

These reports can be used in helping you carefully select or create a program that is tailored to the DNA of your individual patients. For example, say a report shows that the individual has a sensitivity to gluten or a below average metabolism. Healthcare providers can use these results to choose a gluten-free program or to come up with a meticulous diet and exercise plan.

Not only will genetic testing allow you to better choose plans for your patients, but it can also give them the push they need to follow a certain program. The reports based off of their DNA provides credible evidence and allows the patient to see and read about what their genes mean for them and what they need to do to prevent certain healthcare risks.

Utilizing genetic testing in your practice will allow you to inform both you and the patient as to what to do next. Scott says it also “explains to patients why they’re paying what they’re paying and why they’re doing what they’re doing”.

Genetic Direction’s goal to help people live better, healthier lives aligns with BodySite’s mission to empower healthcare providers to help patients lead healthier lives.

The reports generated by Genetic Direction can actually be uploaded into the patient’s records right into the BodySite platform so that you can visually justify to the patient why you want them on a certain program focusing on certain metric.

If you’re looking for help with choosing the right plans or programs to put your patients on, make sure to take a look into utilizing genetic testing in your practice. Chances are your patients need some encouragement to follow plans that will help them live better, healthier lives, and seeing and understanding their DNA analytics may just be the push they need.

To learn more about Genetic Direction and their process, click here.