Web-based software eases onboarding, offers education for patients, research participants
Adam Hott, EdD, presenting at ASHG 2017
Orlando, Fla. – Genome Gateway™, a web-based software created by HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville, Ala., was highlighted in a presentation at the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) annual meeting in Orlando.
Genome Gateway™ manages interactions between genomic medicine patients and clinicians at the Smith Family Clinic for Genomic Medicine, also in Huntsville. Patients can use the software, which is hosted on a HIPAA-compliant server, to complete their initial paperwork, fill in family history to create a pedigree, and engage in educational activities prior to their initial visit, or throughout their care.
“Onboarding through Genome Gateway is a critical feature of patient experience because it sets the tone for future interactions. By offering online forms and reducing the number of times a patient has to fill out those forms, the visit is streamlined and patient satisfaction increases,” said Adam Hott, EdD, who led the Genome Gateway™ project and also is the digital applications lead for HudsonAlpha.
Hott presented data from the implementation of Genome Gateway™ at ASHG. The clinic team reported a 45-60 minute decrease in the length of clinic visits. More than two-thirds of patients engaged with educational materials prior to their first visit as well.
“Genome Gateway™ is designed to be truly interactive. Besides the customized learning platform, patients can also ask questions of providers and access their medical results online through the secure software,” added Hott.
In addition to its use as a clinical tool, researchers also integrate Genome Gateway™ into projects. Participants in the Alabama Genomic Health Initiative (AGHI) will soon be utilizing a separate instance of the gateway for education and communication, as will future participants of HudsonAlpha’s CSER funded project SouthSeq.
“Both clinicians and scientists have been inquiring about Genome Gateway™ because of its unique research tools and its ability to provide de-identified data for research. In the field of genomics, aggregating as much data as possible will help scientists make new discoveries about variants known to cause disease, as well as variants of unknown significance,” Hott said.
For more information about Genome Gateway™, contact Adam Hott, Digital Applications Lead at ahott@hudsonalpha.org, 256-327-0574.
About HudsonAlpha: HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology is a nonprofit institute dedicated to innovating in the field of genomic technology and sciences across a spectrum of biological challenges. Opened in 2008, its mission is four-fold: sparking scientific discoveries that can impact human health and well-being; bringing genomic medicine into clinical care; fostering life sciences entrepreneurship and business growth; and encouraging the creation of a genomics-literate workforce and society. The HudsonAlpha biotechnology campus consists of 152 acres nestled within Cummings Research Park, the nation’s second largest research park. Designed to be a hothouse of biotech economic development, HudsonAlpha’s state-of-the-art facilities co-locate nonprofit scientific researchers with entrepreneurs and educators. The relationships formed on the HudsonAlpha campus encourage collaborations that produce advances in medicine and agriculture. HudsonAlpha has become a national and international leader in genetics and genomics research and biotech education, and includes more than 30 diverse biotech companies on campus. To learn more about HudsonAlpha, visit hudsonalpha.org.
Media Contact:
Margetta Thomas
mthomas@hudsonalpha.org
256-327-0425
