Researchers at Proove Biosciences Highlight Necessity of Genetic Testing for Injured Workers
Irvine, CA (PRWEB) March 11, 2016 -- Proove Biosciences, Inc., the commercial and research leader in personalized pain medicine, is excited to announce a publication that explains how genetic testing must be included in evidence-based guidelines for injured workers. Published in the International Journal of Biomedical Science, researchers at Proove Biosciences and the Spokane Spine Center recommend a new framework for helping injured workers manage chronic pain. The publication authors look to incorporate genetic testing into the pain management process—a move aimed to accelerate recovery, reduce risk of addiction, and lower overall healthcare costs.
“There are about three million workers injured each year—and about one-third of them are taking opioids,” explained Brian Meshkin, CEO at Proove Biosciences. “Integrating genetic testing into treatment plans for these individuals may help guide their care and improve their outcomes, particularly when it comes to objectively evaluating pain levels or understanding addiction risk. The new approach revolutionizes the nature of prescribing pain medications—and it facilitates rational decision-making rather than empiric prescribing.”
According to the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute, approximately 65 to 85 percent of injured workers receive opioid prescriptions. Depending upon genetic variation, however, certain patients respond less favorably to opioid drugs—and others are predisposed to an increased risk of addiction. Genetic variability among patients leads to a wide range of healthcare risks and economic consequences. In a study published by the Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy, for example, researchers discovered that prescription opioid abusers cost the healthcare system eight times as much as non-abusive patients.
The guidelines established in the new study provide a framework that allows doctors to identify genetic variances among injured workers prior to treatment. “By evaluating genetic variability, doctors are able to create treatment plans that are customized to achieve the best possible outcomes,” continued Meshkin. The significance of integrating genetic testing into the treatment process for chronic pain patients cannot be understated, particularly when it comes to addiction. “According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, genetic factors contribute to approximately 50% of a patient’s susceptibility to addiction. We now have the technology to improve overall outcomes while avoiding a common path to addiction—and this publication provides guidelines that can change everything.”
The publication proposes the use of genetic testing to objectively assess a patient’s sensitivity to pain, screen for opioid misuse, and select the most appropriate medications. Publication authors propose the addition of genetic testing to consensus guidelines for treating injured workers in order to improve a patient’s functional status, increase productivity, improve safety of prescribing, decrease the likelihood of substance abuse, and save on overall healthcare costs.
About Proove Biosciences
Our mission is to change the future of medicine. Proove represents the proof to improve healthcare decisions. We seek to realize a future when clinicians look back and wonder how they could have ever prescribed medications without knowing how a patient would respond. Physicians use Proove Biosciences testing to improve outcomes—both safety and efficacy of medical treatment. From a simple cheek swab collected in the office, Proove performs proprietary genetic tests in its CLIA-certified laboratory to identify patients at risk for misuse of prescription pain medications and evaluate their metabolism of medications. For more information, please visit http://www.proove.com or call toll free 855-PROOVE-BIO (855-776-6832).
Genevieve McCormick, Proove Biosciences, http://www.proove.com, +1 949-556-7239, [email protected]
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