Sometimes, knowing what your DNA says about your health isn’t enough – you’d like your doctor to be in the loop as well. But in the busy world of modern medicine, that kind of information sharing may not be as easy as it sounds.
Some physicians, for example, have so many medical advances to keep track of that they may not be accustomed to interpreting new types of genetic results. You and your doctor also usually don’t have as much time to talk as either of you would like. Did you know that the average medical appointment is only about seven minutes these days? That leaves little time to fit in a conversation about personal genetics results. And many people have concerns about whether they want their genetic information entered into their formal medical records.
f you’d like to talk with your physician about your genetic information, here are a few suggestions to help make that conversation more productive:
- When you make your appointment, ask for a longer time than usual. Request a consultation of at least half an hour.
- If you have privacy concerns, learn more about a new federal law that protects you from important types of genetic discrimination. You can also contact your physician before your appointment to discuss privacy issues.
- Make sure to come prepared. Know what questions you want to discuss. Come with your test results and other relevant information. Ask your relatives about your family health history ahead of time. Basically, make sure you are informed so you and your doctor can best work together.
- If you are a Navigenics member, contact your Navigenics Genetic Counselor before your appointment. All our board-certified counselors have deep experience in helping physicians understand genetic information, and can help you find an approach likely to work for you and your doctor. Your counselor can also help you develop a detailed family medical history, which will likely be an important part of your genetic conversation with your doctor.
Navigenics members can find more suggestions on discussing genetic results with physicians by logging into their Navigenics Health Compass results and clicking on the “Sharing Results” tabs. If you aren’t a Navigenics member, but would like to know more about how personal genetic information offers valuable insights into your own health, please feel free to contact one of our Genetic Counselors.