The Electronic Medical Records and Genomics (eMERGE) Network: past, present, and future.

  • Gottesman O, Kuivaniemi H, Tromp G, Faucett WA, Li R, Manolio TA, Sanderson SC, Kannry J, Zinberg R, Basford MA, Brilliant M, Carey DJ, Chisholm RL, Chute CG, Connolly JJ, Crosslin D, Denny JC, Gallego CJ, Haines JL, Hakonarson H, Harley J, Jarvik GP, Kohane I, Kullo IJ, Larson EB, McCarty C, Ritchie MD, Roden DM, Smith ME, Böttinger EP, Williams MS. The Electronic Medical Records and Genomics (eMERGE) Network: past, present, and future. Genetics in medicine : official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics. 2013 Oct;15(15). 761-71. PMID: 23743551 [PubMed] PMCID: PMC3795928 NIHMSID: NIHMS495335.

Abstract

The Electronic Medical Records and Genomics Network is a National Human Genome Research Institute-funded consortium engaged in the development of methods and best practices for using the electronic medical record as a tool for genomic research. Now in its sixth year and second funding cycle, and comprising nine research groups and a coordinating center, the network has played a major role in validating the concept that clinical data derived from electronic medical records can be used successfully for genomic research. Current work is advancing knowledge in multiple disciplines at the intersection of genomics and health-care informatics, particularly for electronic phenotyping, genome-wide association studies, genomic medicine implementation, and the ethical and regulatory issues associated with genomics research and returning results to study participants. Here, we describe the evolution, accomplishments, opportunities, and challenges of the network from its inception as a five-group consortium focused on genotype-phenotype associations for genomic discovery to its current form as a nine-group consortium pivoting toward the implementation of genomic medicine.