Meditech announced Wednesday that its precision medicine solution integrating a patient’s full genetic history into their EHR is now live at Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare. The rural health organization in Clinton, Missouri is the first to deploy the EHR vendor’s solution called Expanse Genomics.
Expanse allows providers to order genetic testing directly in the EHR, and analyze and parse results that are displayed directly in patient charts, according to Westwood, Massachusetts-based Meditech.
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“Currently, most genomic data is stored in scanned PDFs or in reference lab databases that have to be retrieved through an API (application performing interface),” said Jennifer Ford, a product manager at Meditech, in an email. “The Expanse Genomics solution has the data stored discretely within the Expanse EHR, which is managed by the organization. It receives the data directly from the lab and displays it all in one place, specially designed for clinicians. The data can then be further used for built-in clinical decision support.”
Using the solution, providers at GVMH now have the ability to tailor care to a patient’s genetic profile in aims of providing more accurate treatment, according to the health organization and Meditech.
The EHR vendor expects another early adopter to go live in the coming months, and is working with a number of organizations interested in the solution in the U.S., Canada and the UK, Ford said. She added that Meditech sees an opportunity for this solution to be used in many areas, including behavioral health, precision nutrition and research.
Other EHRs have also been incorporating genetic data to help improve patient care. That includes Epic, which last year announced it was partnering with Foundation Medicine to integrate genomic insights in its EHR.
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Meditech’s genomic solution is already being used in a number of clinical areas by GVMH, including at its cancer center. Expanse will equip physicians with genetic data about a patient’s predisposition to diseases, their ability to metabolize medications and the characteristics of a tumor in an effort to improve patient outcomes, Meditech said.
“Having a patient’s full genetic medical history at your fingertips is essential to effectively treating the patient and delivering a more personalized care experience,” said William Dailey, chief medical information officer at GVMH, in a statement. “Expanse Genomics is an intuitive solution that provides our clinicians with actionable data for each patient when they need it, and it creates a clear path equipped with clinical decision support tools necessary to make informed decisions.”
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