Health services implications of DNA testing.
This review article summarizes the state of the art in genetic testing and discusses the many issues that new technologies have raised. A health services perspective is offered to aid in providing laboratorians with an understanding of the dilemma that society faces with the exponential advances in knowledge. Unmistakably, these new technologies are a mixed blessing: on the one hand, diagnoses can be made with greater accuracy and preventive measures implemented more fruitfully and individuals may be more conclusively identified and/or exonerated for forensic purposes. On the other hand, however, are the very real concerns that discrimination under a medical guise will be encouraged and that privacy rights may be compromised. Another important issue is how the laboratory profession will serve in moving these new technologies from research to practice. We examine the role of the CLS in moving forward to a role of patient counselor and advocate in the emerging complex world of DNA-related biotechnology.
Struse
H M
HM
Affiliated Systems Corporation, Houston TX 77027-6022, USA.
Montoya
I D
ID
D001675:Bioethics; D003219:Confidentiality; D030561:Databases, Nucleic Acid; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005820:Genetic Testing; D006801:Humans; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000235:genetics; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis