Chicago-based physician advocacy group, the American Medical Association (AMA) had a policy-making meeting this week and recognized the ability to integrate next-generation genome sequencing technologies into a clinical setting. The AMA said it supports “regulatory policy that protects patient rights and confidentiality, and enables physicians to access and use such diagnostic tools as clinically appropriate.”

“Advances in DNA sequencing technology offer patients and physicians a new diagnostic tool to help improve health outcomes, but clinical challenges must be addressed to realize the full potential benefits of this technology,” AMA Board Member Robert M. Wah, M.D., said in a statement

“While cost and time barriers to genetic sequencing have been reduced, important privacy, practice, payment and regulatory issues, including how to compensate physicians and other health care professionals for the considerable work-related demands required, must still be addressed.”  AMA also supports policy that informs and educates physicians and trainees on the clinical uses of these technologies.

In addition, the AMA supported policy that calls on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend the implementation of the ICD-10 code set. According to a report from American Medical News, one AMA delegate said the group will continue to fight for physicians when it comes to being over-burdened by the ICD-10 regulatory requirement.