As the first health IT company to introduce a solution that fully integrates genomic data throughout the EHR, MEDITECH was early to recognize the importance of precision medicine. We knew that genetic data could change the future of medicine – but only if physicians could actually use it.
When I began my career in the genomic space many years ago, I encountered many industry stakeholders who questioned if the EHR was the right space to house genetic information. Genetic data was complicated, hard to consume, and had yet to be efficiently integrated into a provider’s workflow.
Our goal when developing Expanse Genomics was to get at the root of industry challenges that limit clinicians’ ability to interact with and leverage precision medicine at the point of care. Our solution is unique in that it offers a new approach to tackling the complexities of genomic information by enhancing the way clinicians consume genetic data and elevating its presentation in the EHR.
Now that we've successfully developed methods for storing discrete genetic data directly in our EHR — rather than simply storing it in PDF format or accessing it from outside sources — we have more control over how we present it to clinicians. With standardized user interfaces and the addition of specially designed areas of the chart for clinicians, we present genetic results within their existing workflows, along with helpful interpretation and guidance at the time when it’s most important.
Planning for the future of Expanse Genomics
Operating within an industry that is constantly changing means adapting our solutions to give providers what they need when they need it. Our integrated solution facilitates the optimization of genetic data, but that is only the start of our plans with Expanse Genomics.
We are excited to be actively releasing our first wave of Genomics/Oncology clinical decision support to an early adopter. This solution will provide up-to-date details on variant interpretation, utilizing real-time interpretation from sources such as ClinVar. This will allow us to signal to providers whether a variant has changed from ‘unknown significance’ to ‘pathogenic,’ which has the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes and promote comprehensive care. As an EHR we are looking for ways to combat stagnant and outdated reporting within the clinicians workflows.
Working with dozens of leading reference labs performing genetic testing has given us the opportunity to marry a variety of data together within the EHR, allowing us to provide more insight into directed therapies for oncology patients and even drive clinicians to recommended clinical trials specially selected for their specific patient, making it easier to enroll patients in trials.
Another exciting advancement has been the integration of Expanse Genomics with patient registries. Customers are actively using registries for patient tracking. The technology has the capacity to help health systems identify patients with specific genetic markers who are on specific medications and help providers identify patients who may not be metabolizing medications properly. In addition, building out actionable cohorts of patients for research or trials can now be directed based on the specific genetic markers, often key when working with new drugs.
We have developed a dashboard that leverages our analytics tools and enables the ability for genetic data to be mined by our Business and Clinical Analytics solution, opening up the ability to create dashboards that present genetic data from patient populations in meaningful ways. Additionally, a genomic widget is in the works to make it even easier for providers to locate genetic data within the EHR and collaborate with teams across the care continuum on important markers to improve communication and outcomes
We dove in with ambition and excitement, developing integration for many different use cases in the genomics space including those for Genetic Counselors, Pathologists, Cardiologists, Behavioral Health Specialists, Nutritionists, Pediatricians, and more. We plan to continue to expand the breadth of reach, specializing and bringing in tools to work across the continuum.
After recently announcing the launch of new AI use cases, we’re excited to be contemplating the deployment of AI in the genomics space to drive disease recognition.
What our customers are saying
As an EHR vendor, it’s our role to ensure that providers have access to all the information they need, right at their fingertips – including genetic data. No matter the setting or the care provider, end users need access to genetic information because this data impacts every specialty across the care continuum.
Expanse Genomics provides our customers with the tools they need to embrace a preventative care approach and integrate precision medicine into their clinicians’ daily workflows. We’ve already received positive feedback regarding physician satisfaction and time savings when searching in the chart. Providers appreciate how they can now access specially curated genetic data without leaving the EHR and launching a separate application. They also value having clinical decision support available directly in the EHR, supplementing physicians’ care with pharmacogenomic decision support through our collaboration with First Databank.
In the oncology space in particular, nurses have reported time savings between 30 and 45 minutes when searching across the EHR prior to meeting with a patient, and between 15 and 25 minutes per order placed. Even if a customer is utilizing Expanse Genomics in a small clinic that sends out only 20-30 orders a month, the time savings is still significant.
With the potential of genomic medicine only just beginning to emerge, MEDITECH remains dedicated to the development of innovative solutions that will change the industry for years to come, and it has been the adventure of a lifetime to be a part of this groundbreaking journey.
Tune into our on-demand webinars to learn more about Expanse Genomics and our other innovative solutions.
