In-Home Genetics: A New Era of Personalized Health Care

Unlock the secrets of your DNA with a simple cheek swab and embark on a journey to personalized healthcare. Join Dr. Tiffany Montgomery and her co-host Nick Cuevas, as we dissect the world of at-home genetic testing and how it's revolutionizing the way we make health decisions. This episode promises to guide you through the transformative process, from picking the right test to understanding your unique genetic blueprint. We'll show you just how these innovative tools offer not only convenience but the power to take control of your health, all while maintaining the critical balance for positive outcomes and health equity.

Ever wonder how the results of a genetic test can influence your approach to nutrition, fitness, and stress management? We've got you covered. Our discussion with Nick delves into the comprehensive support system from companies like P23 Health. From the confidential arrival of your test kit to the insightful consultations with telemedicine experts, we lay out the full spectrum of services that are tailored to your genetic makeup. As the future of healthcare arrives at your doorstep, tune in and learn how to harness the full potential of at-home medical testing.

Transcript

Dr. Tiffany Montgomery: 0:05

P23 Knowledge, access, power. P23 Wellness and Understanding at your fingertips. P23, and that's no cap. Welcome back to Demystifying DNA, today's episode In Home Genetics a new era of personalized healthcare. I'm your host, research scientist and epidemiologist, Dr. Tiffany Montgomery, and joining me today is my co-host, Mr. Nick Cuevas. Welcome, Nick.

Nick Cuevas: 0:45

How are you Doctor? How's it going, Doctor

Dr. Tiffany Montgomery: 0:48

I'm doing well, it's going good. How about yourself, Nick?

Nick Cuevas: 0:51

I'm doing good. I can't wait for this episode. I love this whole thing, so this is going to be a great episode about in-home genetic testing and all that good stuff. So I can't wait for you to educate me and all the listeners.

Dr. Tiffany Montgomery: 1:05

So, Nick, I know that I want to be really clear with our listeners. Nick does not pre-plan or give me the questions. We just kind of talk to you all and we let it flow. If you all have questions, send them to us, drop it on our social media, email us. Nick, I want you to just tell our audience a little bit about yourself.

Nick Cuevas: 1:27

Okay, I've been a marketer for a few years. Now. I'm the marketing manager of P23 Labs, Health, and Pier23. I've been working here for quite a bit and I love it. This is a great company. I get to do things like this, which a lot of other companies you won't even have the chance to do. Something so fun like this. So right now I'm loving life. A little bit about myself is I used to be a personal trainer and I had a lot of health issues and so I lost a lot of weight, got healthy, started eating better, working out and so on, and now I work at a company where we embody that and I feel privileged and so happy to work for a company like this. That's actually preaching what I believe in. So, without getting too much into it, that's a little bit about myself, but I'm just very happy to be doing what I'm doing right now. To be honest with you, Doctor, .

Dr. Tiffany Montgomery: 2:33

Oh Nick, thank you, and, like I said, that wasn't scripted so you took me by surprise, but I want to say we're honored to be working with you as well, .

Nick Cuevas: 2:41

Thank you.

Dr. Tiffany Montgomery: 2:42

Today we're going to delve into the world of direct to consumer genetic testing. These at home tests open doors to personal health insights, but they also bring questions about accuracy and impact on health decisions. Join us as we explore the intersection of genetics and personal care in this new era of health empowerment. this is great. I have a couple of questions right off the back. I want to hear your questions. Let's go.

Nick Cuevas: 3:14

All right. Well, just as far as at-home testing goes, can you give me just a brief history of that, because I know us growing up? I'm in my mid 40s and this wasn't around at all, it was just go to the Doctor. So can you just give me a brief history of how it all came about and how you incorporated it into P23?

Dr. Tiffany Montgomery: 3:41

I think that's a great question and I think words matter. There are two separate things going on here. There's at home testing, like your rapid COVID tests or your rapid RSV tests or checking your blood sugar right, getting those finger pricks and things like that at home. Those will be considered at home tests. A lot of companies, such as P23 and others, have at home test collection kits and what that means is that test kit is sent to your home or you can obtain it at a store maybe a Walmart, a CVS or Walgreens and you can bring that sample kit home, provide the sample most samples are blood cards, saliva, urine, fecal swab or vaginal swab and then you take that sample following the instructions provided and mail that sample back to the lab for testing and analysis. Your report is then sent to you in some type of agreed upon time later, so it may say within 72 hours, it may say within four to five weeks, it just depends on how the company processes their tests and those are considered at home test collection kits. So you've got at home testing where you get that result and the whole thing end to end is done right there at home, and then you have the kits where you can collect in the comfort of your home, in the privacy of your home, and send that back to the lab. Right?

Dr. Tiffany Montgomery: 5:30

Both are very useful, but what's happened is we've reached the enlightenment age with the AI, and you know all of the things going within the heat of the age of information, and through information you breathe that health empowerment, which is the process of really enabling people to have more control over their health and well being.

Dr. Tiffany Montgomery: 5:56

It involves increasing their knowledge, their skills, their confidence and their resources to make informed decisions and take actions that affect their health. This can be done on an individual level, a community level or a system level, and it will have positive impacts on health outcomes, quality of life and health equity. So, coming from a public health, epidemiologist perspective, public policy perspective, health empowerment and removing these barriers is something that's just naturally passionate for me. We have to make sure it's done in a responsible fashion, though, and that's why we want to not shy away from those questions about accuracy and how the accuracy plays on your decision and what impact it has on you, right? So, Nick, I know you had some questions and I want to give you time, so I'm going to give it back to you to ask the questions and then we'll kind of get into some of the main things.

Nick Cuevas: 7:06

Okay. Well, how accurate are these tests? At home tests.

Dr. Tiffany Montgomery: 7:11

It depends on Nick. How so many factors? I would love to give you just a quick, down and dirty answer. Right, but the first thing is you've got to follow the instructions on the test. The accuracy starts off in your hands. So if the instructions say wash your hands, collect the sample without eating, or collect it after you ate or first thing in the morning, whatever those instructions are, they've got to be followed. If you've got a question about those instructions, you need to be calling, getting service, dialing the telephone number, sending a message through a secure and private manner. You've got to be really on top of making sure those instructions are followed. From that point you're going to assuming you follow the directions and instructions.

Dr. Tiffany Montgomery: 8:08

Remember, no test is 100% accurate, but we try, we strive, we hit the mark as many times as we can. Most labs receiving the sample has different levels of accreditation, different types of accreditation. Those accreditation ensure that good laboratory practices are followed, so that labs receiving these samples have a standard SOP, a number of steps that they're going to follow, and they're going to follow them exactly every single time. Quality, quality assurance and quality control are all things that we're required to have and we're committed to having. Once you establish those things, you'll have results that you can trust and that are accurate. Every person involved in this process has to take the accuracy and the ability to follow instructions very seriously, and that's going to really help you get accurate results that you can trust.

Nick Cuevas: 9:13

So what do you think is the future of at-home testing In 10, 20, 30 years from now? Do you think that's going to be more of the norm? That's going to be the easier route to go? If you could predict the future, how would you see it and what do you think it should be?

Dr. Tiffany Montgomery: 9:27

as to what it might be, so I think this is a good one. You'd be surprised how many people have asked me to predict the future, and I don't have a crystal ball.

Dr. Tiffany Montgomery: 9:36

But, I could see this definitely being the norm. I could see us transitioning and increasing more of and converting more of our at-home testing kits to actually at-home testing processes or cycles, such as your pregnancy tests or your ovulation tests. We are growing as a community, as a society, as a culture, and we are having more of a need and a desire to understand and responsibly handle and process this information. So I can definitely see at-home testing becoming a way of life and the number of things being permitted or understood on how to test at home, even with infectious disease, to hormone control. Every year we're growing closer and closer in a number of assays that are available and assays are just tests, but we call them assays in the clinical world. We're growing with the number of these things that are available in our home and I can't see that changing at all.

Nick Cuevas: 10:49

Yeah, it seems like it's going to get easier through time to access all this information. Have it more of a workflow, like a stream flow of that, compared to like you have to go to the doctor, you have to wait, you have to go to the waiting room, hang out there, get pricked, get blood drawn and you go through the whole nine. Then you have to wait a week, two weeks, sometimes even longer, to get your results. I'm assuming through time it's going to be a lot quicker and at home just seems like the more convenient thing to do. I mean, we got busy lives, we got kids, we got families, we got soccer and baseball games to go to with the kids and dance practice and homework and cooking. I believe these at home tests is the future. I mean, it's just like you know, nobody predicted that there would be a cell phone and look at us now.

Dr. Tiffany Montgomery: 11:43

And we're.

Nick Cuevas: 11:44

You know we're walking around with computers in our pocket. You know as to when I was a kid, we had those Apple Macintosh computers that we had to wait in line for at school to use right At-home testing to me is what's going to be the future. So my next question is if somebody did get an at-home test, how would it work as finding out the with P23 in particular, how would it work with finding out the results, and what would you do next after you find out the results?

Dr. Tiffany Montgomery: 12:16

So I'm glad you narrowed it down, because every lab is going to be completely different. Every solution, every workflow is different, and that's the uniqueness of where we are now. But since you asked specifically about P23, it would look a little something like you would talk to one of our health counselors and you would determine which type of test you need. Or maybe you already know. You've done an online questionnaire. You know I've got itching, burning whatever, coughing, whatever it is that you have using some type of resource we've selected, or we've helped you select, the best test for you. You're going to order that test. The test is going to be mailed to your home discreetly. You'll have instructions on how to collect that test. We offer supervised and unsupervised collection of tests. So if you want somebody to watch you, to kind of make sure you're doing this correctly, we have that service for you securely.

Nick Cuevas: 13:20

It's encrypted.

Dr. Tiffany Montgomery: 13:21

We're able to help guide you through that. Let's say you are a pro. You read these instructions, you got it down pat. You want to do it by yourself. You don't want anybody talking you through it or invading your personal space. You have the luxury of doing that in the privacy of your own home.

Dr. Tiffany Montgomery: 13:40

After that sample is collected, you're going to send it back to us overnight using the secure packaging for healthcare samples that we've sent you. That sample will be received in the laboratory. It will be a session, or processed, or inventory these are all words that you might recognize and once that happened, it's verified that the integrity of the sample is intact. It hasn't spilled, it hasn't leaked, it was collected in the appropriate timeframe. We have the necessary information to run the test. It's registered. We are authorized to run the test. You've agreed to allow us to run this test for you. You know specifically what we're testing you for and we proceed and move it to testing, depending on the type of test you had from P23, it may be one day, it may be 10 days, but whatever it is that we've agreed to, you will have that to you by. You will have it. We meet our turnaround time 99.3% of the time. And that's just looking at our 60 day average. So, whatever the committed number is that we say we're going to do, we do.

Dr. Tiffany Montgomery: 14:53

We really strongly believe that the trust relationship starts there. You can trust us and rely on us to do what we said we're going to do. So it's a two way street and we want to make sure we earn your trust. From that point you'll receive the result through your secure portal. Our client services team will reach out to you. Make sure you receive that result. If you didn't, you will get it through a secure HIPAA and creative process. Make sure HIPAA encrypted email. We will be there to talk with you to provide follow up. If you need a meeting with one of our telemedicine docs, we'll do that and arrange that for you.

Dr. Tiffany Montgomery: 15:33

If your results call for a plan of action or some type of medication to support your test, you'll be offered that, or our clinical team can consult with your regular physician if you already have someone else that you would like to see. So we're here as much or as little as you'd like us to be, and that is kind of how it works at P23. Now we don't only do infectious disease right, so everything is not. Let me give you an antibiotic. We also focus on nutrition testing at home, nutrition and education, exercise, fitness guidance, sleep and stress management, where we help you encode you towards a personalized genetic approach to just optimizing your life with P23 Optimum. So, depending on your goals whether it's prevention or screening or making sure that you don't have some type of infectious disease like you, Nick, taking charge of your health and really optimizing where you are in life and where you wanna go, we're here for it. And so that's the range and the diversity of kind of what that looks like at P23.

Nick Cuevas: 16:50

That's great. That's really great information. I had a couple of questions from the listeners, but you just answered all of them right there, which is incredible. I don't know if you could see the future, but you said earlier you can't, but I think you just did it.

Nick Cuevas: 17:05

You literally just checked off like three questions that I had Something going back. Do you think the medical community, the average primary doctor, has something to say about this? Do you believe that there's pushback at at-home testing? Do you think that there should be pushback or do you believe that the health and wellness or just a doctor's community is all for this? Like? What are your sentiments on that?

Dr. Tiffany Montgomery: 17:33

You know, for the physicians and I have a couple of physician friends I'm not a physician, I'm a research scientist, but I have heard some of the objections because you've got all kinds of people coming with labs, tests that you may have never heard of, and so, just like I said, P23 wants to earn your trust and build your trust. Physicians like trust it. If it's a lab that they haven't heard of or that they don't know much about, they're leery because there's so many labs. You have to be able to trust the process, the integrity and the professionalism of the lab that the person went to or used right. So at P23, we really focus on brand awareness and being a part of that medical community and making sure that they're learning and that they know us and that they're beginning their trust relationship with us.

Dr. Tiffany Montgomery: 18:30

Okay, but any lab would have that same issue. The physicians just want to know that their patients are being taken care of. You would be surprised to learn how protective they are of each of you and they really just want the best. So you end up having almost like that and that's just the healthiest way I can think of it that parent-child relationship. It's like you're trying to tell your child don't do something, you're gonna get hurt and the child just wants to do what they wanna do and you just wanna protect them, protect them, protect them. It's the same way with that provider-patient relationship.

Dr. Tiffany Montgomery: 19:10

I would say listen to your provider, answer their questions. It's nothing hurtful or more rewarding than to take a second test if they want you to. At least now you know what to look for and maybe it confirms what you had, maybe you've cleared the infection. We don't know. But what we will say is it builds that relationship and either way, it makes the two of you stronger. I think that the physicians are mixed feelings about it. I think that as time grows and the industry for at-home testing becomes more regulated, they can trust the process, they can trust the lab. You'll see a difference in their reaction or how they feel about it. But in the meantime, partner with your provider and listen to whatever they're telling you. Stay with them every step of the way, because they honestly just want the best for you.

Nick Cuevas: 20:08

That's true.

Dr. Tiffany Montgomery: 20:09

So, as we conclude today's episode of demystifying DNA, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you for joining us and exploring the exciting world of in-home genetic testing. At P23 Health, we're dedicated to bringing this innovative technology to you, offering a range of at-home test collection kits and at-home tests that provide valuable insights into various aspects of your health. Our goal is to empower you with the knowledge you need for informed health decisions right from the comfort of your home. From understanding your genetic health risks to managing health and wellness proactively, p23 Health is your partner in personalized health care. Remember, being informed is the key to taking control of your health. We encourage you to stay curious and proactive in your health journey. To discover more about how P23 Health can support you, visit our website, P23health. com, for detailed information on our testing options. Thank you again for listening. I'm Dr. Tiffany Montgomery, along with Nick Cuevas, signing off from Demystifying DNA. Keep exploring, stay informed and take charge of your health journey, one gene at a time, and remember we're with you every step of the way.