Merging Electronic Health Record Data and Genomics for Cardiovascular Research

Electronic health records (EHRs) have assumed a major role in medical practice in the United States.  EHRs also have the potential to accommodate genetic and genomic data in a manner similar to how they handle clinical laboratory data. Including genomic data with the clinical information in EHRs provides the potential to improve our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of health and disease and to improve the overall care of patients. The announcement of the Precision Medicine Initiative by the US government reaffirms the change in patient care on the horizon. In this report, the American Heart Association summarizes the existing landscape and current hurdles of genomic research in cardiovascular disease in the era of the EHR.

The full AHA science advisory can by viewed below