Innovate or die!: Genomic data and the electronic health record (EHR)

The sharing of patient data, such as test results, is important for appropriately treating patients. Inclusion of this data allows for clinical error prevention, particularly if a new clinician becomes involved. If genetic information, including family history or genetic test results, is not accessible to treating physicians, care may suffer. Innovation is needed to address the problem of lack of access to important data, such as genomic test results, not structured to fit into an EHR. Without data integration care will, and does suffer. Innovations, albeit long in the making (Blatt, 2013), are improving the care of patients. The next step forward is better utilization of available information, including genomic test results.