Biobank participants submit a small blood sample, along with their EHR, family history and a self-reported health and lifestyle survey. Once the sample has been genotyped, the data is made available to researchers and clinicians at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital and other Partners institutions.
The information in the database has so far been used in more than 200 studies, including ones focused on the role of genetics in cardiomyopathy, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer and cerebral aneurysms, the genetic impact of antidepressants and other medications, and the development of an algorithm to identify Alzheimer’s risk, among others.
“Greater participation in the Biobank enables us to increase the scale and scope of our research and provides our researchers with access to data and information that would otherwise take them years to source,” said Scott T. Weiss, MD, the Biobank’s principal investigator. “We are already seeing tremendous results from the Biobank, both for individual patients where a health concern was identified, to large studies that are helping us to identify diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer in patients who have yet to develop any symptoms.”
More articles about health IT:
5 new healthcare data chiefs
Apple’s 5 latest health-related job openings
Montana community health centers receive $520K for health IT operations
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.