Health Risk Assessments, Family Health History, and Predictive Genetic/Pharmacogenetic Testing

Primary care, the first point of contact for patients, is in an ideal position to promote integration of genomic medicine in wider healthcare use. Most primary-care physicians spend a majority of their time treating chronic conditions. The discovery of genetic variations underlying these chronic diseases offers them the unprecedented opportunity to personalize disease prediction and treatment. In the electronic health record era, health risk assessments with an accurate family history, medication reconciliation, and physician decision support for genetic and pharmacogenetic testing using evidenced-based guidelines should be incorporated into health systems and clinical workflows. This chapter will discuss the importance of these innovations in transforming primary care.

Duke Scholars

Author Lori Ann Orlando Medicine, General Internal Medicine