JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Healthcare is at a turning point. We are shifting from protocolised medicine to precision medicine, and digital health systems are facilitating this shift. Digital health technologies give clinicians detailed information for each patient, provide analytic support for decision making at the point of care, and, enable precision medicine. Genomic data provides clinicians with important information that can improve the accuracy and timeliness of diagnosis, optimise prescribing and target risk reduction strategies – all key elements for precision medicine. However, genomic data is predominantly seen as diagnostic information, is not routinely integrated into the clinical workflows of electronic medical records. As genomic data is fundamentally different from the information collected during routine practice, special considerations are needed to use this information in a digital health setting. This paper outlines the potential of true genomic data integration with electronic records, and how this data can enable precision medicine.