Global Genes: Expanding Access to Genome Sequencing in Rural Populations
Patients in rural areas often face challenges accessing cutting-edge medical technologies, such as state-of-the-art genome sequencing, but a new pilot study from the Children’s Mercy Research Institute in Kansas City, Missouri, offers a framework for how to improve access and care for patients far from metropolitan areas.
CMRI collaborated with Salina Pediatric Care, a rural clinic in Salina, Kansas, for a one-year pilot project. Salina is located 175 miles from Children’s Mercy Kansas City. The pilot study, which ran from July 2022 to June 2023, found more than double the historic rate for rare disease diagnosis among the rural population and also cut the time-to-diagnosis by about five months. The pilot project for rural expansion was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health.
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