The Genomics, Ethics, and Translational Research Program within RTI International conducts translational genetics and genomics research with a focus on rare diseases in newborns and young children, and the impact on children and families. Our work aims to translate basic science discoveries into clinical and public health practice.
PROJECT NARRATIVE Though any single rare disease is by definition uncommon, together these diseases affect nearly 30 million individuals in the United States, two-thirds of whom are children, and contribute significantly to morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Exome and whole genome sequencing have the potential to provide a diagnosis to an estimated 25 to 50 percent of those patients struggling with undiagnosed rare diseases, but the downstream costs and benefits of this testing beyond diagnosis remain largely unknown.
PROJECT NARRATIVE Little is known about how health care providers (HCPs) will react to, and use, genomic information in patient care. The goal of this study is to understand how genomic information impacts HCPs and to make recommendations that will enhance HCPs' ability to successful integrate this information into clinical medicine.
