INCORPORATING GENOMIC INFORMATION ABOUT ADDICTION RISK INTO CLINICAL PRACTICE

How does a field decide when new findings are “ready” for clinical implementation? In this talk we will present an overview of the process by which new biomarkers or tests get integrated into clinical practice, and results from a review of the current predictive power of PGS for psychiatric and substance use disorders as compared to other biomedical diseases. Our findings indicate that the predictive power of PGS for many areas of psychiatry is consistent with other areas of medicine where genomics is being applied clinically; however, there is very little data on clinical utility at this point. We will discuss next steps and ethical implications related to evaluating the clinical utility of PGS for psychiatric and substance use outcomes. Additionally, we will present results from a pilot trial in which addiction risk information including PGS was offered through a pediatric emergency department setting. We tracked interest in receiving addiction risk information, and response to receiving addiction risk profiles through an on-line platform developed in collaboration with psychiatric genetic counselors. Our findings indicate that despite significant interest from patients and physicians, several barriers remain to using PGS as a means to improve health outcomes.