The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is providing $5.4 million in initial funding to launch a new program aimed at integrating genomics into learning health systems. These systems, found in many U.S. hospitals, link clinical care with research by continuously analyzing patient data to improve medical practices.
The Genomics-enabled Learning Health System (gLHS) Network is designed to explore ways to incorporate genomic data into existing learning health systems. As genomic testing becomes more prevalent, the growing availability of genomic data offers an opportunity to directly enhance patient care through these systems.
The gLHS Network comprises six clinical study sites and a coordinating center, each with an active learning health system. Each site will propose a project that utilizes patient data to refine some aspect of genomic medicine, such as genetic testing for hereditary conditions or tailoring medications based on a patient’s genomic information. The coordinating center will oversee project selection, focusing on initiatives that are feasible within the program’s five-year span and can be shared across the network.
“We are thrilled to unite this network to help translate genomic discoveries into clinical practice,” said Robb Rowley, M.D., program director in the Division of Genomic Medicine at NIH’s National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). “uncover new medical insights from genomic data by Learning health systems offer”.
A key goal of the gLHS Network is to develop knowledge and practices that can be broadly applied to improve patient care beyond the participating sites. The coordinating center will also facilitate the sharing of tools and resources with the wider clinical and scientific communities, extending the network’s impact to under-resourced settings, such as rural hospitals or low-income areas.
“At present, learning health systems typically thrive in well-funded medical centers,” stated Teri Manolio, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Division of Genomic Medicine at NHGRI.. “We hope this initiative will create tools that enable limited-resource environments to enhance their use of genomic medicine.”
The total funding for the program, provided by NHGRI and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), is $27 million over five years, contingent on available resources.
