TY - JOUR
T1 - Genetic Testing between Private and Public Interests
T2 - Some Legal and Ethical Reflections
AU - Sándor, Judit
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright © 2018 Sándor.
PY - 2018/1/31
Y1 - 2018/1/31
N2 - In Europe, there is a wide variety of genetic tests that various private companies offer to patients or to consumers. More and more people have become curious about their genetic predisposition and susceptibility. Most public health-care systems, however, are not adequately prepared for responding to these new demands and to the results of these genetic tests as, quite often, there is no available therapy for the identified genetic condition. This discrepancy between the newly emerging expectations and the insufficient responses contributes to a further rift between the public and private sectors of health care. Individual genetic test results may also trigger the need for personalized medicine and may open up a competition between the two fields in offering further genetic tests and medical exams. Pro-active patients may need a different kind of information on genetic tests and their implications. In this context, how should the public health system deal with the challenges of private testing? Will private genetic testing transform health care from a solidarity-based system to an individualistic one? In this paper, I would like to explore the emerging legal and ethical issues related to genetic testing and the relevant legal framework that has developed so far. In the conclusion, I will examine the possibilities of further legal development.
AB - In Europe, there is a wide variety of genetic tests that various private companies offer to patients or to consumers. More and more people have become curious about their genetic predisposition and susceptibility. Most public health-care systems, however, are not adequately prepared for responding to these new demands and to the results of these genetic tests as, quite often, there is no available therapy for the identified genetic condition. This discrepancy between the newly emerging expectations and the insufficient responses contributes to a further rift between the public and private sectors of health care. Individual genetic test results may also trigger the need for personalized medicine and may open up a competition between the two fields in offering further genetic tests and medical exams. Pro-active patients may need a different kind of information on genetic tests and their implications. In this context, how should the public health system deal with the challenges of private testing? Will private genetic testing transform health care from a solidarity-based system to an individualistic one? In this paper, I would like to explore the emerging legal and ethical issues related to genetic testing and the relevant legal framework that has developed so far. In the conclusion, I will examine the possibilities of further legal development.
KW - genetic testing
KW - health economics
KW - hereditary diseases
KW - human DNA
KW - intellectual property
KW - public vs private interface
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85091971196&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fpubh.2018.00008
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2018.00008
M3 - Review Article
AN - SCOPUS:85091971196
SN - 2296-2565
VL - 6
JO - Frontiers in Public Health
JF - Frontiers in Public Health
M1 - 8
ER -