Partnership combines AI technology and telehealth genetic counseling services to improve access and quality of care through early interventions for children with developmental conditions
FDNA Inc, the leader in the early detection of rare genetic diseases, and Genome Medical, the nation’s leading telehealth provider of genetic services, have partnered to empower parents to detect potential developmental, neurological and genetic conditions in their children and connect with specialists quickly – a move that may shorten the diagnostic odyssey for children from an average of five years to a few months.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), developmental disabilities affect one in six children in the U.S., and many of these children also have underlying genetic conditions. Too many families struggle for years to find the right care for their children and are often faced with the lifelong impact of a late diagnosis. FDNA enables the early detection of developmental and genetic disorders for families and children through their Child Development Checker app, an AI powered image analysis and care management tool.
The FDNA app identifies patients with potential genetic conditions and connects them with Genome Medical for genetic counseling and testing services for assessment and diagnosis – all from the comfort of their own homes. This partnership supports and may greatly reduce families’ diagnostic journeys. Genome Medical’s nationwide virtual care delivery model delivers genetics care to patients seven days a week with appointments available within a week.
Approximately 6,000 families access FDNA’s Child Development Checker app monthly. On average, 90 percent live more than an hour drive from a medical center, 80 percent are from small towns and rural areas that are often medically underserved and approximately 40 percent are ethnic minorities. Providing fast, virtual access to diagnostic and telehealth genetic services to families with significant barriers to care and shortening their diagnostic journey may provide significant positive impact on the current treatment options and future quality of life for children with genetic conditions.
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“Geography creates incredible inequities in healthcare when patient access is hours away and knowledge of the healthcare system is not readily available,” says Kiley Johnson, chief clinical officer, Genome Medical. “Genome Medical and FDNA share a common vision for breaking down barriers to access and empowering families to seek the answers they need to pursue the right care. For parents, every day matters when you don’t have a diagnosis for your child. We are potentially shortening that path to diagnosis so parents can seek the care their children need.”
“Over the last six months we helped 35,000 families be better advocates for their child’s health with the help of the Child Development Checker. Of those, 12 percent of children were recommended for genetic review and/or testing, and an additional 34 percent have been flagged for developmental disabilities or delays that may include a neurological or genetic issue,” says Erik A. Feingold, CEO, FDNA. “Through this partnership, we expect to see an increase in diagnoses, with plans to connect more patients with clinical trials and therapies.”
Source: PRNewsWire
