October 24, 2013

Eskind project seeks to demystify genotyping information for patients

With the aid of a two-year, $487,000 National Leadership Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), a Vanderbilt research team will develop a reusable model to promote better patient engagement with the health care team through delivery of consumer-friendly pharmacogenetic information.

With the aid of a two-year, $487,000 National Leadership Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), a Vanderbilt research team will develop a reusable model to promote better patient engagement with the health care team through delivery of consumer-friendly pharmacogenetic information.

The focus of the project is aiding cancer patients’ understanding of the use of clinical genotyping in characterizing certain cancers and prescribing treatments.

Employing My Cancer Genome, a personalized cancer medicine knowledge resource developed and hosted by Vanderbilt, the project will test strategies that take health literacy into account, as well as patients’ diverse learning styles or preferences.

The study will be led by Nunzia Giuse, M.D., MLS, professor of Biomedical Informatics and Medicine, assistant vice chancellor for Knowledge Management and director of Eskind Biomedical Library, and Taneya Koonce, MSLS, MPH, associate director for Knowledge Management Research.

Established in 1996, the IMLS is the main source of federal support for U.S. libraries and museums.