Answer 3 for DNP 810 There are several issues that undermine clients’ rights to make genetic and genomic-related decisions and then take action
Several issues undermine the rights of clients in genetic- and genomic-related decision making. The two issues that I would like to bring is the misuse of information and impact on the family.
Historical Misuse:
Genetic information has been misused to promote eugenics initiatives, discriminate in insurance and the workplace, and obtain information about individuals’ medical histories. As genetic research and medical applications advance, the ability to associate genetic predisposition for disease to factors such as gender, self-identified race, or population group will likely increase. Although population-based research informs epidemiologic inquiry, concerns abound that genetic and genomic test information could be used inappropriately to stereotype or stigmatize individuals.
Impact on family:
Genetic and genomic test information also has the potential to impact an individual’s family members, as germline mutations may reveal information about medical risks to blood-relatives. Thus, an individual’s decision to undergo a genetic and genomic test could reveal information that suggests risk to relations regarding the potential development of a chronic or debilitating disorder.
Protection against potential discrimination based on genetic and genomic information must be ensured, and proper disclosures must also be made for the use of such data for research purposes. Attention to the issues raised by these discussions will help policy developers and health care professionals ensure that confidentiality, privacy, and security are appropriately maintained for genetic and genomic information contained in the electronic health record.
Mohammed, Y. A., & Chen, Y. P. (2019). Ensuring privacy and security of genomic data and functionalities. Briefings in Bioinformatics.
Bin, P., Conti, A., Capasso, E., Fedeli, P., Policino, F., Casella, C., Delbon, P., … Graziano, V. (2018). Genetic Testing: Ethical Aspects. Open Medicine (warsaw, Poland), 13, 247-252.
