If you’ve received your Navigenics genetic test results, it may be time for “the talk.”

Time to have a candid conversation with your physician about your DNA and what you can do to improve the future direction of your health.

This summer, I blogged about some of the barriers patients might face in sitting down with a physician to go over the results. Fear of discrimination and too-short appointments are foremost on some people’s list.

Yet your doctor can be your greatest ally in your quest to make informed decisions about your health.

And, as one of our satisfied customers relates, having that conversation can be one of the most important steps you can take along the path toward optimal wellness.

In Patrick’s case, it meant early detection and early treatment of a health condition that might otherwise have gone undetected for some time.

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As a physician with many years in private practice, I’ve always valued tools that helped me care for my patients on an ongoing basis. Everyone’s health is prone to vary over time, so there is definite benefit to new science that highlights change.

That’s why a key aspect of the Navigenics genetic health service – ongoing updates – is so important. When Navigenics analyzes a person’s DNA, the findings don’t stop with that first genetic report. As new genetic research findings pass our rigorous scientific scrutiny, we bring our members additional information about their current conditions and new ones.

This process means that our members’ DNA results stay current with the latest and best genetic science.

This week, we’ve started providing our members their personal genetic insights into two additional conditions:

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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:

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The field of personalized medicine is filled with many players, each with its own approach.  Physicians considering the Navigenics genetic health service often ask me if we follow best practice guidelines set forth by leading professional societies. My answer is a clear “Yes.”

Leading medical genetics societies, such as the American College of Medical Genetics, the American Society of Human Genetics, and the National Society of Genetic Counselors, have laid out clear standards for the field of personal genetic services. These industry leaders usually describe our field as “direct-to-consumer” genetics, meaning that individuals may access these services themselves, rather than being required to seek a test through their doctor.  And these groups want to make sure individuals who turn to these services receive high-quality care.

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