Pharmacogenomics-Based Point-of-Care Clinical Decision Support Significantly Alters Drug Prescribing.

Changes in behavior are necessary to apply genomic discoveries to practice. We prospectively studied medication changes made by providers representing eight different medicine specialty clinics whose patients had submitted to preemptive pharmacogenomic genotyping. An institutional clinical decision support (CDS) system provided pharmacogenomic results using traffic light alerts: green = genomically favorable, yellow = genomic caution, red = high risk. The influence of pharmacogenomic alerts on prescribing behaviors was the primary endpoint. In all, 2,279 outpatient encounters were analyzed. Independent of other potential prescribing mediators, medications with high pharmacogenomic risk were changed significantly more often than prescription drugs lacking pharmacogenomic information (odds ratio (OR) = 26.2 (9.0-75.3), P < 0.0001). Medications with cautionary pharmacogenomic information were also changed more frequently (OR = 2.4 (1.7-3.5), P < 0.0001). No pharmacogenomically high-risk medications were prescribed during the entire study when physicians consulted the CDS tool. Pharmacogenomic information improved prescribing in patterns aimed at reducing patient risk, demonstrating that enhanced prescription decision-making is achievable through clinical integration of genomic medicine.

Patient Perceptions of Care as Influenced by a Large Institutional Pharmacogenomic Implementation Program.

Despite growing clinical use of genomic information, patient perceptions of genomic-based care are poorly understood. We prospectively studied patient-physician pairs who participated in an institutional pharmacogenomic implementation program. Trust/privacy/empathy/medical decision-making (MDM)/personalized care dimensions were assessed through patient surveys after clinic visits at which physicians had access to preemptive pharmacogenomic results (Likert scale, 1 = minimum/5 = maximum; mean [SD]). From 2012-2015, 1,261 surveys were issued to 507 patients, with 792 (62.8%) returned. Privacy, empathy, MDM, and personalized care scores were significantly higher after visits when physicians considered pharmacogenomic results. Importantly, personalized care scores were significantly higher after physicians used pharmacogenomic information to guide medication changes (4.0 [1.4] vs. 3.0 [1.6]; P < 0.001) compared with prescribing visits without genomic guidance. Multivariable modeling controlling for clinical factors confirmed personalized care scores were more favorable after visits with genomic-influenced prescribing (odds ratio [OR] = 3.26; 95% confidence interval [CI] = (1.31-8.14); P < 0.05). Physicians seem to individualize care when utilizing pharmacogenomic results and this decision-making augmentation is perceived positively by patients.

Developing a conceptual framework for understanding illness and attitudes in older, urban African Americans with diabetes.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to better understand how older African Americans with diabetes view their illness, and to develop a conceptual framework for approaching their care. METHODS: Researchers conducted interviews of 19 African American patients 65 years or older who attended clinics at an urban academic medical center. The mean age of the patients was 73 years, 58% were female, 63% had a complication from diabetes, and 58% were taking insulin. Patients were asked open-ended questions about how diabetes affected their lives and their attitudes toward treatment. Data were analyzed through a grounded-theory perspective. RESULTS: Patients showed variation in the degree to which they believed that diabetes affected their lives and how aggressive they wished treatment to be. Themes included issues of quality of life, health beliefs, and the social context. Paradoxical, contradictory statements were common, expressing ambivalence and uncertainty regarding the effect of the illness and the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Wide variation exists in the attitudes of older African Americans toward their diabetes and treatment. Patients frequently expressed ambivalence toward the care of their illness. Providers should explore these issues and help patients resolve their ambivalence if patient preferences are to be respected in the overall treatment plan.