Navigenics has joined healthcare leaders across the country to support a new Declaration of Health Data Rights.

The statement aims to ensure patients’ ability to access and share their own personal health information.

The declaration, which appears on the website HealthDataRights.org, was drafted in response to the difficulties many patients have reported experiencing while attempting to obtain their personal medical records from hospitals, health plans and doctors.

It stipulates that we should have the right to access our own health information so that we can make the best medical decisions for ourselves.

The tenets are simple. The document declares that we the people:

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Navigenics has made some significant additions to our genetic testing services.

Five new health conditions have been included in our test panel, and we have added 53 SNPs for a dozen existing conditions, which enhances the predictive ability of our genetic tests. We have also made improvements to our Alzheimer’s disease test. 

With these changes, our Health Compass customers will receive the most up-to-date results.

Read on to learn more about the new conditions.

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The first consumer genetics conference gets underway in Boston today, bringing together leaders in the fields of genetic testing, health, genetics and law.

The Consumer Genetics Show was born out of the growing interest in personal genetic testing, and will address key issues in the field, including scientific advances, best practices, and how to navigate the healthcare system. Doctors will learn more about the genetic testing field and how they can help their patients decide which genetic test is best for them.

The Consumer Genetics Show has attracted a veritable who’s who of the personal genomics industry.

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To a lot of people, genetic testing still sounds like futuristic fiction. And that means people come to us with different misconceptions of what genetic testing is all about.

To help address some of those perceptions, we’ll start blogging from time to time about common myths that surround genetic testing and try to set the record straight.

Here’s one misconception our genetic counselors often hear:

Myth:  My DNA is my destiny, and I don’t want to know.

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At a time when most personal genetic testing companies do not even offer genetic counseling to their clients, Navigenics, I’m thrilled to report, is expanding our counseling program.

Genetic counseling from a qualified professional is a critical part of the genetic testing experience. Genetic counselors are healthcare professionals who are trained to help you understand what genetic information means for you and your family – and whether testing is appropriate for you. We work with you to put your results into context and discuss ways to integrate the information into your life. 

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What do scientists and rock stars have in common? On the surface, not a heck of a lot.

But on May 25, they’ll all be gracing the pages of GQ Magazine as part of a nationwide effort to recognize the achievements of some of today’s top scientific minds.

Among those featured in the “Rock Stars of Science” public service campaign is Dr. David Agus, who co-founded Navigenics with the overall goal of improving personal health. Dr. Agus is also a nationally recognized cancer researcher and physician with the University of Southern California.

Haven’t heard of him? That’s exactly the point of the Rock Stars of Science project.

Nearly three-fourths of Americans polled could not name a single living scientist in a 2006 survey commissioned by Research!America. A separate survey for Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry determined that Britney Spears is more influential than Stephen Hawking among most Americans.

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