As a clinician, genetic testing can help you: Diagnose diseases and/or their severity Improve your patient’s care by identifying the specific gene mutations that cause an already diagnosed disease Personalize your patient’s care by choosing the best treatments Identify mutations that may pose a risk for developing a disease, or could be passed on to children When a mutation is identified, you can make solid and accurate recommendations for your patient’s treatment and clinical monitoring, as well as advise them on lifestyle choices to improve their quality of life and longevity. Close relatives of affected patients can also be screened to determine if they are at risk of developing the disease, allowing you to plan preemptive measures to mitigate their risks, and perhaps even prevent the onset of the disease entirely. Moreover, identifying the specific gene mutation can have direct significance for the drugs used to treat the disease. In the case of mutations that inhibit the production of essential enzymes, for example, choosing medicines that compensate for the lack of these enzymes is critical. Drug dosages of any medication can also be tailored for an individual patient’s metabolism, as the technology exists to sequence genes for this purpose as well.