CHICAGO (PRWEB) June 26, 2019
CancerIQ, a cancer risk assessment and management platform, and GeneMatters, a telehealth genetic counseling service, have integrated their technologies to better serve providers, health systems and patients. The partnership allows providers who use the combined offering to more easily access or supplement genetic counseling resources for their institution to better identify and prevent hereditary cancers across populations.
CancerIQ helps providers identify high-risk patients who need genetic counseling services by analyzing family history, running predictive risk models and automating National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN®) Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology. But not every hospital or clinic has enough genetic counselors or expertise needed to help patients understand their genetic evaluation and make evidence-based decisions.
“CancerIQ was founded on the premise that everyone should have access to quality genetic testing and counseling,” said Feyi Olopade Ayodele, CEO, CancerIQ. “After identifying more than 60,000 patients across the CancerIQ network who may be at risk for cancer, it is clear there are not enough specialists to provide this service to those who need it. With GeneMatters’ platform integrated with the CancerIQ platform, we are delivering an end-to-end solution that makes it easy for any health system anywhere to incorporate genetics into their cancer prevention or population health strategy.”
Once patients are identified as high-risk through the CancerIQ platform, providers can seamlessly schedule telehealth appointments with GeneMatters’ highly qualified genetic counselors. As more providers implement CancerIQ across specialties – including primary care, imaging and surgical settings – adding GeneMatters’ clinical expertise is increasingly important.
UnityPoint Health, a health system based in Des Moines, Iowa, is among the first to use the combined services to address inequities in access to genetic counseling and testing.
“Our partnership with CancerIQ gives us a way to identify high-risk patients across populations, which has led to a dramatic increase in the number of patients who require genetic counseling,” explains Alison Beardsley, Director of Oncology Services at UnityPoint Health – Trinity in Moline, Illinois, where the oncology program is currently offering genetic services. “Rather than refer these patients elsewhere for genetic counseling – which studies show can be a significant barrier to care – we wanted to bring personalized genetic counseling services to them and create a seamless patient experience.”
Providers can use GeneMatters’ genetic counseling service to supplement their existing genetic counseling team, or as a full-service solution if their resources are limited. Counseling sessions can occur pre-testing, post-testing, or both. GeneMatters will have direct access to the patient record in CancerIQ and will build off of the early workup that was done in clinic to make counseling sessions more meaningful and efficient.
“We are pleased to partner with CancerIQ to provide the option of an integrated service," said Jill Davies, co-founder and CEO, GeneMatters. "Through this collaboration, healthcare partners will be able to seamlessly use the technology and services of both organizations to better serve their patients. This partnership supports our mission to improve access to genetic counseling, while increasing the efficiency and reach of genetics’ programs."
After the genetic counseling session, GeneMatters summary report, including recommendations for genetic testing or medical management can be accessed through CancerIQ. This will help providers ensure patients get the right services at the right time to identify those at risk or to prevent hereditary cancer.
“Providing genetics services to more patients is the right thing to do. This partnership also makes it an easy, high quality, and sustainable thing to do,” added Beardsley. “Ultimately, that’s how we can save more lives.”
About CancerIQ
CancerIQ’s technology enables hospitals to identify, evaluate and manage entire patient populations based on individual genetic risk factors. By analyzing family history, running predictive risk models and automating NCCN guidelines, CancerIQ empowers community-based providers with the genetic expertise to prevent cancer or catch it early. The platform has been rapidly adopted by some of the top health systems in the country and fully integrates with genetics laboratories, EHRs, and specialty software vendors to streamline workflow, guide clinician decision making, achieve cost savings, and – most importantly – improve patient outcomes. Learn more about how CancerIQ is scaling the use of genetic testing to predict, preempt and prevent disease at canceriq.com.
About GeneMatters
GeneMatters provides a telehealth genetic counseling service and online platform to improve timely patient access to genetic counselors. We easily integrate with healthcare organizations to build or extend their genetic counseling offering for temporary or long-term needs. Our highly experienced genetic counseling team covers hereditary cancer, reproductive health, cardiology, neurology and more, in all 50 states and Canada. We partner with hospitals, health networks, clinics, genetic testing labs and academic research centers to customize our service and platform to quickly integrate with your team. Visit: Gene-Matters.com
About UnityPoint Health
UnityPoint Health is the nation’s 13th largest nonprofit health system and the fourth largest nondenominational health system in America, providing care throughout Iowa, western Illinois and southern Wisconsin. As an industry leader in the Midwest, we put people first — they’re our sweet spot, what we care about most, and why we do what we do. Our 30,000 team members are committed to giving each person the type of experience we’d want for our own loved ones. We believe everyday moments are worth celebrating, and as your partner in health care, we’re dedicated to making it easier to live well. UnityPoint Health, UnityPoint Clinic® and UnityPoint at Home provide easier, more personal care to patients and families. Because people are amazing, and we’re here to help keep them that way.