title: Health care policy issues as a result of the genetic revolution: implications for public health.
abstract: The genetic revolution has spawned 4 distinct issues of universal importance to health care policy and society: genetic privacy, regulation and standardization of genetic tests, gene patenting, and education. Adequate policy advancements for these 4 areas are lacking. Stringent controls must be placed on individual health records to prevent their misuse. Genetic testing within the clinical setting should undergo thorough evaluation before it is implemented. Regulations are needed to prevent the monopolization of DNA sequences. Society and health care professionals must be educated about the scope of genetic testing because current trends indicate that genetic and molecular assessments are destined to become a routine component of health care.
authors.affiliation: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, College of Public Health, Little Rock, AR 72205. ojharohitp@uams.edu
authors.forename: Rohit P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Ojha
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thertulien
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D030661:Genetic Privacy / Q000458:organization & administration; D036281:Genetic Research; D005821:Genetic Techniques / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D005826:Genetics, Medical / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration; D006281:Health Occupations / Q000193:education; D006291:Health Policy / Q000639:trends*; D016045:Human Genome Project / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D010330:Patents as Topic; D011050:Policy Making; D011634:Public Health / Q000639:trends*; D012926:Social Control, Formal; D014481:United States
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