AGHI – HERE ’ S HOW IT WORKS
UAB — Alabama ’ s leading provider of genomic and precision medicine — has launched the Alabama Genomic Health Initiative ( AGHI ) in partnership with the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology .
The statewide effort is funded by the state of Alabama , with the goal of enrolling 10,000 Alabamians . The AGHI is one of the most ambitious singlestate initiatives of its kind ever undertaken . The program launched in 2017 in Birmingham with the goal of expanding statewide to evaluate the addition of genomic medicine in primary health care for Alabama residents .
HERE ’ S HOW IT WORKS :
1 . ENROLL
Participants are being recruited through participating family medicine and primary care clinics . They are asked to donate a small blood sample and provide a brief family health history .
2 . TEST
DNA , extracted from that sample , will be analyzed with genotype arrays for participants .
3 . COUNSEL
All participants and their providers will receive a findings report . Participants who have actionable disease risk findings ( predicted to be 1-3 % of participants ) have the option to receive genetic counseling and referrals to appropriate medical care . In addition , participants and their medical providers will receive a pharmacogenetics report that may inform how a participant may respond to certain medications . Participants and their providers have the option to receive a pharmacist consult to review results .
4 . DISCOVER
Study data will create a statewide genomic database that could give researchers new insight into prevention and treatment of gene-related diseases . The AGHI also will help educate health providers statewide about genomic medicine and advance a genomics-ready population and health care workforce in Alabama .
To learn more about the AGHI , please email aghi @ uab . edu .
2 Alabama Genomic Health Initiative Annual Report 2020