Frequently Asked Questions

Clinical Genetics

Why is genetics so hard?

Genetics is hard for the same reasons it is exciting. It is dynamic and interconnected to many facets of health, well-being and family. What we know today was unimaginable 50 years ago. And we cannot anticipate what we will learn in the next 10, 20, 30 years that will change, add to, or refute our current understanding. Simply put, genetics is constantly evolving. Nothing is standing still. And, importantly, technological innovation is outpacing our knowledge of how to utilize these services clinically. It is both developing strong foundational skills and keeping up with advances that is the greatest challenge.

Our extensive knowledge and experience in multiple important areas distinguishes us. This includes clinical and technical expertise along with regulatory (e.g., FDA, CMS) and operational (e.g., policy, coding) matters to develop a comprehensive understanding of how genetics can integrate into healthcare. By considering multiple perspectives, we provide superior advice and solutions.

Quite simply our knowledge and experience help guide decision making for your organization. Whether that is helping to write policy, select specific populations for use, understand genetics more clearly to facilitate internal decision making or use data to identify strengths and weakness of internal operations, Synergistic Genomics, LLC has you covered. We understand that a one-size-fits all approach does not work due to complexities at every level. Our solutions are adaptable and able to accommodate your implementation needs to both improve the quality of care and minimize waste.

The danger arises from not recognizing the difference between what is proven and what is hopeful, causing potential harm to patients and burdensome cost to us all. The risk for misunderstanding in a world which is constantly evolving is ever present and growing.

Genetics is often perceived to be better understood than is realistic due to simplified explanations and a general lack of understanding of these complexities. The intricacies of gene regulation, epigenetics, and the interplay between genetic and environmental factors continue to be uncovered. Moreover, the dynamic nature of genetics necessitates a constant reevaluation of our understanding as new discoveries emerge.

Conveying the complexities and uncertainties of genetics accurately is crucial for preventing misconceptions, knowing what is feasible and fostering a more nuanced understanding of the growing role of genetics in healthcare.

EVERYONE! On a personal level, everyone is likely to be impacted by genetics at some point in their life. Increasingly, we are given opportunities to use genetic information to help us understand ourselves better. But, knowing when they are helpful versus potentially harmful is a challenge.

On a population level, genetics is increasingly being integrated into healthcare with many success stories. However, in some cases not enough attention is being paid to details that really matter. How accurate and actionable is this information? For which populations? Does the benefit of the intervention support the cost on a population level? Are there unintended harms which are not being considered which change our perspective?

In order to truly harness the benefits of precision public health, we need to look at the data for both clinical utility, risk of harm and economic impact to know where interventions are clinically beneficial and where more data may be needed.

Let us transform your concerns about managing genetics into actionable and attainable solutions.

At Synergistic Genomics, LLC, we offer practical solutions that focus on using genomics in healthcare effectively and safely.

Making informed decisions about genetics in healthcare is difficult. Ultimately, it revolves around a few central questions. Is there enough information to demonstrate that a particular intervention improves the health of the population or subpopulation? Is it cost-effective compared to the next-best alternative? When an intervention is found to be beneficial, how do you implement coverage in a responsible manner (so as to get testing to the appropriate group while also minimizing fraud, waste, and abuse)?

Synergistic Genomics, LLC has the experience to help answer these questions with sound and defendable solutions.

No, we are not a clinical service. We are a consultive service to help many groups understand and utilize genetic services as a part of healthcare policy, operations, and implementation. We do not provide direct patient care. We recommend checking the National Society of Genetic Counselors Directory to find a genetic counselor that can provide direct clinical services.