Heart muscle disorders are a common cause of heart failure: a life-threatening condition that can cause dangerous abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmia) and a buildup of fluid in the body (edema). In British Columbia (BC) and Alberta, patients with heart failure are cared for in specialized Heart Function Clinics (HFC). Providers in these clinics rapidly diagnose and treat heart failure because early treatment prevents death and disability. In some situations, particularly in young people, heart failure is caused by abnormalities in the genetic blueprint of the heart muscle – this is present at birth and passed down within families (i.e. hereditary). We can diagnose this genetic abnormality by a simple blood or saliva test, which allows us to better treat patients and diagnose family members to protect them against heart failure and death. In BC and Alberta, people suspected of having this form of heart failure must be referred to highly specialized programs to receive genetic testing, as our healthcare systems currently do not offer genetic testing through HFCs. However, HFC providers are unaware or discouraged from referring patients because of the very long waitlists of these programs. In this study, we want to educate, enable, and empower HFC cardiologists to order genetic testing for heart failure. Patients will no longer have to wait for up to 3 years to see a genetic specialist. They will be diagnosed and treated earlier, and their family members who might be in danger of having the condition can be informed more quickly. We aim to convince healthcare leadership that our system needs better access to genetic testing by showing the positive impact on health outcomes through this research project.
ActiveEnvironment & EnergyHealth
Transforming Wastewater-Based Surveillance to an Actionable Public Health Tool for Managing and Mitigating Infections Across a Range of Scales
Competition/Funding OpportunityGenome Canada - eDNA Surveillance Initiative
Project Lead(s)/Co-Lead(s)Michael Parkins and Casey Hubert (University of Calgary)