Genomics: the power, potential and pitfalls of the new technologies and how they are transforming healthcare

Abstract

Powerful new genomic technologies are transforming healthcare. The faster, cheaper generation of genomic data is driving the integration of genomics into all healthcare specialties. Within the next decade, healthcare professionals will be using genomic data to diagnose and manage their patients.However, despite these exciting advances, few clinicians are aware of or prepared for this genomics-based future. Through five patient-focused scenarios with accompanying interviews, this article showcases new genomic technologies while highlighting the inherent challenges associated with complex genomic data.