Direct-to-consumer (DTC) genomic services have generated controversy over when it is appropriate to provide genetic results to individuals. Critics have argued for restrictive regulation of such services, and even their prohibition, on the grounds of the harm they may pose to consumers. However, others argue that these services offer consumers the ability to make better-informed health decisions based on increased understanding of genetic risks.
The Personalized/Precision Medicine Blog
The official blog of the Annual Personalized and Precision Medicine Conference provides readers with information, insight and analysis regarding the field of personalized and precision medicine, genomics, genomic interpretation and the evolution of healthcare in the post-genomic era.
Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing: the Ethics of Information and Returning Results
Sandra Soo-Jin Lee, Ph.D., Sr. Research Scholar at Stanford’s Center for Biomedical Ethics has recently penned an article in the Journal of Genetic Counseling which analyzes the views of genetics health professionals regarding genomic test results, the abstract for which can be viewed here:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23728783
Dr. Soo-Jin Lee will be addressing this issue at the 6th Annual Personalized & Precision Medicine Conference, which is being held on October 29th and 30th, 2014 in San Francisco. In this presentation, she will draw upon empirical research with consumers in discussing the underlying ethical questions raised by DTC genomics and its implications for public understanding of personalized medicine.
This event brings together multiple stakeholders, including payers, molecular diagnostics companies, genome analysis/interpretation companies, clinicians and many others in order to provide attendees with a holistic view of the personalized medicine landscape. To download a brochure with more information about the event, please visit: http://bit.ly/brochureDL or visit: http://www.personalized-medicine-conference.com.