MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA –  In a move to integrate genomic medicine into healthcare delivery, El Camino Hospital, a not-for-profit hospital in Mountain View, Calif., has launched the Genomic Medicine Institute.
 
GMI will provide physicians with decision support solutions and Web-based tools from San Francisco-based DNA Direct to help individuals and healthcare providers use genetic information to better guide healthcare decisions.

"The Genomic Medicine Institute is a strong complement to our industry-leading cancer, heart and vascular and women's health centers," said Jon Friedenberg, vice president of El Camino Hospital and sponsor of the Genomic Medicine Institute. "It will help bridge the information gap for physicians and patients, making genomic medicine a viable option, as El Camino Hospital continues to bring breakthrough innovation into real practice in our community."

Patients and physicians will have access to DNA Direct's Web-enabled resources and tools, as well as a national call center staffed by certified genetic counselors who will help physicians select appropriate tests and educate patients about genomic medicine and genetic conditions.

"Genomic medicine is the use of genetic information to better understand how an individual's physiology interacts with the environment," said Cesar Molina, MD, medical director of the South Asian Heart Center and a cardiologist at El Camino Hospital. "This information helps doctors intervene and even prevent disease, or better manage it and prescribe the treatments that will work best for the patient."

GMI has selected an initial subset of nine tests that impact cardiology, gastroenterology, obstetrics and gynecology, oncology and psychiatry. Using DNA Direct, physicians will also have access to a physician portal, educational Web seminars, pre- and post-test questionnaires, medical literature and clinical guideline reviews and physician-referred counseling.

"Together, DNA Direct and El Camino Hospital are working to meet emerging demand for genetic information," said Ryan Phelan, founder and CEO of DNA Direct. "With more than 1,700 genetic tests currently available, genomic medicine has already begun to change the delivery of healthcare. DNA Direct will help El Camino Hospital physicians enhance patient care through streamlined, cost-effective access to guidance and decision support services that help identify the most appropriate testing option, ensuring that the right patient gets the right test at the right time, and that results are interpreted in the correct clinical context."