Last week I was in California for the Future of Genomic Medicine conference, and I heard a presentation by “the patient of the future.” Her name is Kim Goodsell, and she’s a patient of the well-known cardiologist Dr. Eric Topol.
Before Goodsell started having medical problems she was one of the most active people imaginable — a formerly world-ranked Iron Man triathlete and enthusiastic kite surfer. But then she noticed episodes of irregular heartbeat. As years passed the arrhythmia became increasingly common. And her fine motor skills were disappearing.
Specialist after specialist failed to identify the source of the problems. Finally, Goodsell’s own research led her to suspect a genetic malady — a mutation of a gene called LMNA. A genetic test confirmed her suspicions.
Read the full, original story: Patients who question their doctors are changing the face of medicine – and physicians are embracing the shift
