About two years ago, I met with some leaders of a large Midwestern healthcare system. I gave them my standard pitch about the value of clinical whole genome sequencing (WGS). They responded with the usual “that’s nice” words, but then one bright woman asked, “but what will we do with the data?” Super question, which I will address here and in upcoming posts.
The last thing many people want to think about is their own mortality, which often leaves their families to deal with funeral planning, expenses and, sometimes, unresolved medical decisions. They turn to you as a resource in their time of grief. As a funeral director, your interaction with families during a time of loss is their last opportunity to preserve a loved one’s DNA.
Inherited kidney diseases have an overall prevalence of ~6-8 in 10,000 births in the United States and Europe, and accounts for up to 37% of adults with renal diseases (Cocchi et al. 2020. PubMed ID: 32646915; Connaughton et al. 2019. PubMed ID: 30773290; Lata et al. 2018. PubMed ID: 29204651). Obtaining an early diagnosis for kidney disease is important for establishing optimal maintenance and treatment plans for patients and their families, which is why genetic testing has been increasingly integrated into clinical practice.
A proud supporter of our community, PreventionGenetics believes in the importance of giving back. Annually we host a company United Way Campaign with the goal of raising money and awareness for Marshfield Area United Way, which supports individuals in our area most in need. PreventionGenetics began hosting its United Way Campaign over 10 years ago, and is proud to have seen continued growth with employee engagement and funds raised each year.
The Holidays will look different this year. While many of us won’t be gathering with our families, it is as important as ever to talk about family health history. We share a lot with our families, including our DNA. Everyone has a family history of something, whether high blood pressure, diabetes, or a rare genetic disorder.
