ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine Provides Support for Evidence-Based Guidelines Program at the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics

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American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics

Aug 08, 2019, 07:30 ET

BETHESDA, Md., Aug. 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) is announcing the establishment of an Evidence-Based Guidelines (EBG) Program, including a staff team dedicated to new evidence-based guideline development in the medical genetics and genomics field.

ACMG has nearly three decades of experience publishing peer-reviewed guidelines for both laboratory and clinical geneticists around the world. From the release of ACMG's Clinical Genetics Laboratory Guidelines in the early 1990s to this summer's new exome sequencing guideline,¹ ACMG has regularly set genetics and genomics standards for the medical field.

Genetic and genomic testing is playing an increasingly central role in healthcare. This raises a critical need for unbiased, evidence-based guidelines to help clinicians make the best decisions regarding the use of genetic and genomic testing, and to help both government and private health insurers determine coverage options for new tests and treatments.

Until now, ACMG was able to fund guideline development on an ad hoc basis. The rapid advances of our field, however, now demand that ACMG do more. To that end, ACMG's fundraising arm, the ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine (the ACMG Foundation) has established a fund to support the development of evidence-based guidelines by the ACMG. A grant from the California-based biotechnology company, Illumina, marks the first corporate donation to support this effort.

The ACMG Foundation is exploring funding options and, in particular is seeking other corporate partners to help support the ACMG EBG Program. The Program and its dedicated staff will accelerate the rate at which ACMG can review old guidelines and develop new ones. Staff will work closely with the ACMG's Board of Directors to identify areas where guidelines are needed as well as those that need to be updated.

Illumina is a longstanding sponsor of ACMG's work, having made their first donation to the ACMG Foundation as a corporate partner in 2010. Their support of ACMG's graduate student training programs, continuing medical education programs, and the overall mission of ACMG has been significant over the years.

"With the recent explosion of genetic and genomic testing, we see a strong need for evidence-based guidelines that inform decision-making and policy for stakeholders across the healthcare system," said Phillip Febbo, MD, chief medical officer of Illumina. "ACMG has a membership with the expertise and practical clinical experience to create evidence-based, patient-oriented testing guidelines. We are thrilled that they have created a process through which guidelines can be developed and updated to keep pace with advances in genetic and genomic medicine and provide critical help to health care providers who are often unsure of the most appropriate testing for their patients."

"Development of impartial evidence-based guidelines in genetic and genomic medicine is one of the most powerful ways in which ACMG can advance both the field of medical genetics and our members' ability to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease. This new EBG initiative will greatly accelerate this important mission. We have crafted a carefully designed program, approved by the boards of both ACMG and the Foundation, that avoids commercial bias while acknowledging the need for support to allow this process to go forward. We are grateful that Illumina is the founding corporate donor of this program and look forward to discussing our plans with other corporations, corporate foundations, and partner nonprofit organizations," said Bruce R. Korf, MD, PhD, FACMG, president of the ACMG Foundation.

For more information about ways to support the work of the ACMG Foundation, please visit www.acmgfoundation.org.

To discuss evidence-based guidelines and our EBG program, please reach out to Dr. Mike Watson at [email protected]. For more information on donating to the ACMG Foundation or the EBG program contact Karl Moeller at [email protected].

About the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine

The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine (ACMGF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is a community of supporters and contributors who understand the importance of medical genetics and genomics in healthcare. Established in 1992, the ACMGF supports the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) mission to "translate genes into health." Through its work, the ACMGF fosters charitable giving, promotes training opportunities to attract future medical and laboratory geneticists and genetic counselors to the field, shares information about medical genetics, and sponsors important research and education. To learn more and to support the ACMGF mission to achieve "Better Health through Genetics," visit www.acmgfoundation.org or email [email protected].

¹ ACMG's latest evidence-based clinical guideline explores exome sequencing in undiagnosed children with multiple anomalies with a presumed genetic etiology.

Kathy Moran, MBA
[email protected]

SOURCE American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics