Training Modules in Genomic Medicine for Healthcare Professionals
NHGRI provides funding to support the development and implementation of modules aimed at providing healthcare professionals with genomic medicine training.
Listed below are the details of the projects funded under NOT-HG-20-020.
Duke University
Project Title: Health Professional Rapid Personalized Learning Platform for Genomic Medicine
Lead Investigator for Project: Geoff Ginsburg, Susanne Haga
Intended for: Health care providers (physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, pharmacists)
Instructional methodology: Online asynchronous learning; modular; continuing education credit available
Description: We are developing a suite of short educational modules entitled ‘Rapid Personalized Learning Platform for Genomic Medicine’ to promote health providers’ knowledge about genomic medicine, genome technologies and clinical applications, and ethical, legal and social issues related to the practice of genomic medicine. Distance-based learning programs have become an increasingly popular approach that is convenient to busy health professionals and widely accessible. The videos will be developed with content specialists and innovative learning specialists. The modules will be intentionally short and free-standing, but can also be combined to develop a comprehensive learning program to meet the knowledge needs of healthcare providers regardless of level or practice. As the field of genomic medicine continues to rapidly develop, these short modules can be updated as needed with limited disruption to learners and to the module developers. Continuing education credits will be provided through Duke University for physicians, pharmacists, physician assistants, and nurses.
Columbia University
Project Title: Preparing providers to integrate polygenic risk scores into clinical care
Lead Investigator for Project: Wendy Chung, M.D., Ph.D.
Intended for: physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, genetic counselors, medical students
Instructional Methodology: Multiple modes of materials will be developed. In person presentations at CME courses and a library of PRS educational materials hosted on the Columbia Precision Medicine website and the NHGRI website. Development of ACT sheets for select high risk PRS diseases (Breast Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes) that can be adapted to Clinical Decision Support tools integrated in the EHR
Project Description: Genomic medicine implementation has heretofore focused largely on rare genetic variants associated with high risk. However, common variants contribute significantly to the risk for common diseases and potentially could have significant public health impact. Individuals in the top 2-5% of polygenic risk score (PRS) have risk equivalent to many of the rare variants we currently use clinically for diseases such as breast cancer, colon cancer, and coronary artery disease.
eMERGE IV will return PRS scores to over 25,000 participants and providers for select actionable disease. To achieve the goal of eMERGE IV and the promise of PRS of improving public health through improved screening, prevention and early detection, providers must be prepared to integrate PRS into clinical practice and counsel patients about the implications of PRS. We are developing educational materials with the goal of educating providers receiving results from eMERGE IV as well as future providers in clinical care. The educational modules will be shared with all eMERGE IV network sites and will be available to the clinical community.
Indiana University/University of Pittsburgh
Project Title: Test2Learn: Modular multidisciplinary pharmacogenomics education.
Lead Investigator for Project: Skaar/Empey
Intended for: Pharmacists Physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, genetic counselors.
Instructional methodology: Online modular, competency based education using personal genomics data in highly-interactive exercises.
Description: The University of Pittsburgh and Indiana University have partnered together to develop an online pharmacogenomics education program. The goal is to train multidisciplinary providers from a wide variety of disciplines (pharmacists, physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, genetic counselors, etc) to integrate pharmacogenomics into routine clinical care. The program will be competency-based and modular/multi-level so that learners can be tailor education to meet individual needs. It leverages the Test2Learn platform to enable participatory education where trainees can learn using the personal genomic data (or anonymous data if preferred) to achieve superior learning outcomes. Topics covered include nomenclature, testing, decision making, regulatory issues, reimbursement, and talking with patients. We will discuss clinically actionable pharmacogenomic gene-drug pairs across a variety of diseases, such as oncology, cardiology, psychiatry, neurology, infection diseases, and pain control. Application of real pharmacogenomic data from linked laboratories will increase the fidelity of interactive patient cases. Connections to online genomic resources such as the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium guidelines further support education. Micro-credentialing (digital badges) and continuing education credits that will meet the varying needs of individual clinicians.
Mayo Clinic
Project Title: Genetics and Genomics Essentials for Nursing Practice
Lead Investigator for Project: Timothy Curry, M.D., Ph.D.
Intended for: Nurses
Instructional Methodology: Online
Project Description: This training is an online genomic education program specifically for nurses to provide a background in genomics and teach nurses how to use genomics in their practice. It includes foundational genomics concepts including precision medicine, family history and genetic testing as well as specific content in pharmacogenomics, obstetrics, neurology, oncology, and cardiology. This program will award a certificate of completion and ANCC Contact Hours to those who complete the education.
University of Cincinnati/Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Project Title: Reduce or Prolong the Diagnostic Odyssey: You Decide
Lead Investigators for Project: Laura Ramsey, Ph.D., Cindy Prows, M.S.N., APRN, FAAN, Loren Pena, M.D., Heide Aungst, M.A.
Intended for: physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners
Instructional Methodology: Online asynchronous learning through unfolding cases
Project Description: The program’s goal is to provide clinicians with the knowledge and skills to effectively apply genomics in their practices, thus accelerating the implementation of genomic medicine in clinical practice. We are creating self-paced learning modules that use unfolding cases to improve clinicians’ understanding of how to implement genetic testing in their practices. Throughout each case study, there are opportunities for the learner to review relevant basic genetic and genomic concepts, in the form of short videos, infographics, and definitions. Clinicians will receive continuing education credits upon completion of cases/modules.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Project Title: UTHealth Adult Cardiovascular Genomics Certificate Program
Lead Investigator for Project: Siddharth Prakash, M.D., Ph.D.
Intended for: Physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners and allied health professionals
Instructional methodology: Online asynchronous learning
Project description: Purpose of this project is to create case-based online educational modules that feature real-world applications of genetics and genomics to adult-onset cardiovascular diseases. The modules are intended for healthcare providers who do not have specialized training in genetics. We provide plans for sustaining the course and presenting it to a worldwide audience to maximize its impacts. Our long-term goals are to increase awareness and knowledge about genetically-triggered cardiovascular diseases to promote early diagnosis and treatment and to prevent deaths.
Last updated: April 14, 2021