About Genetics & Your Practice

About Genetics & Your Practice Online
Genetics & Your Practice Online began in June, 2000, with a four-year grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to the March of Dimes. It also included additional, in-kind support from the March of Dimes. The purpose of this combined effort has been to expand the original Genetics & Your Practice curriculum that began in Washington State in 1994 into an online genetics information resource and continuing education program.

Like many traditional genetic educational programs, the original Genetics & Your Practice curriculum emphasized the basics of genetic medicine with the goal of increasing the fund of knowledge of primary care professionals in this area. Genetics & Your Practice Online seeks to build on that knowledge base, and also aims to provide a practical, "how-to," step-by-step approach that can assist primary care professionals in integrating genetics into their daily practice. The content of this web site has been customized by patient type (preconception/prenatal; infants/children; adolescents/adults) to more readily meet the needs of all primary health care professionals.

Since its launch in late 2003 through 2007, Genetics & Your Practice Online has registered approximately 1300 new users a year. Users who have come to the site complete, on average, 340 case studies every year. During the same period, 75% of the case studies are typically completed for CME credit. Genetics & Your Practice Online has also been cited in articles appearing in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) plus a special supplement of Pediatrics, titled 'Use of Family History Information in Pediatric Primary Care and Public Health.'

Project Team Leader
Bruce K. Lin, MPH


Project Team: Consultants
Siobhan Dolan, MD, MPH- Content Consultant
Digital Edge- Web site maintenance

None of the planners or presenters for this activity have any relevant financial relationships to disclose because the content contains no discussion of commercial products or services.


Review Committee
Marilyn Dumont-Driscoll, PhD, MD- American Academy of Pediatrics
Agatha Gallo, PhD, RN, CPNP- National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
Katherine A. Johansen, PhD- American Medical Association
Bruce Korf, MD, PhD- American College of Medical Genetics


(See also, list of original project team and review committee members.)

Contributors and Reviewers
The March of Dimes would like to extend its sincere thanks and gratitude to the following individuals for offering their time and expertise to the development of this program.

Janet Bagley, MS, RN
Beth Balkite, MS, CGC
Blaine Bendure
Robin Bennett, MS, CGC
Mary C. Brucker, CNM
Cassandra Cook
Peggy Cottrell, MS, CGC
Jessica G. Davis, MD, FACMG
Kit Devine, ARNP, MSN
Rachel Diamond
Cynthia Dolan, MS, CGC
Siobhan Dolan, MD, MPH
Amy Eisenstein, BA, MSW
Gilian Engelson, MPH
Andrew Faucett, MS, CGC
Paul Fernhoff, MD
Jill Fischer, MS, CGC
Nancy Green, MD
Diane Gross, MPH
Marta Gwinn, MD, MPH
Heather Hampel, MS, CGC
Erin Herrick, Sc.M.
Bruce Jennings, MA
Muin Khoury, MD, PhD
Susan Klugman, MD
Elinor Langfelder-Schwind, MS, CGC
Patricia B. Lawrence, APN/CPNP
Kimberly A. Logan, MS, FNP-C
Daria Ma
Joseph D. McInerney, MA, MS
Kathi Marymee, MS, CGC
Larry O'Connor, PhD
Susan E. Oswalt, RN, MSN, FACCE
Holly Peay, MS, CGC
Mary Kay Pelias, PhD, JD
Barbara Pettersen, MS, CGC
Susanne Rendeiro, MSN, FNP, CS
Susan Rubino, MD
Maren Scheuner, MD, MPH
Sue Schmerler, MS, JD
Lori Schulman, JD
Kristin Schwall, MD
David Silverman
Amy Vance, MS, CGC


Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the following departments within the March of Dimes for their support and efforts in the development of this site.

E-business and Information Technology
Education and Health Promotion
Legal Affairs
Office of the Medical Director
Strategic Marketing and Communications
AudioVisual/Photography


Genetics & Your Practice History
The original Genetics & Your Practice curriculum was develop in 1994 under a HRSA SPRANS grant, as a collaborative project involving the Washington State Department of Health, the Western Washington Chapter of the March of Dimes, and genetic providers throughout the state of Washington. The initial work focused on the development of a genetics curriculum and a statewide lecture series for health care and social service professionals. In 1998 the program expanded nationally when additional March of Dimes chapters and genetic professionals began conducting the lecture series in 15 states across the country.

The Genetics & Your Practice curriculum was later transformed into an interactive CD-ROM by the Institute for Child Health Policy at the University of Florida and into an online distance education course at Idaho State University. The March of Dimes has plans to partner with other countries for the translation of the CD-ROM into other languages.

In the summer of 2000, the March of Dimes introduced the curriculum to China during a special symposium. The curriculum was subsequently translated into Mandarin for continued use in China's professional genetics education initiatives.

The Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Genetic Services Branch, SPRANS (Special Projects of Regional and National Significance), and the March of Dimes provided initial funding. Swedish Medical Center in Seattle and state and local health departments have supported Genetics & Your Practice over the years.

In addition to the Web site, Genetics & Your Practice continues to operate today in a small number of March of Dimes chapters as a lecture series. The professional education program utilizes a rotation of speakers comprised of local health care professionals who give invited talks at nearby hospitals, colleges or medical centers.




Back to top