In case you have missed it. There will be an excellent talk given at the National Press Club in D.C. I will be sending members of my team to these lectures on the broad policy issues emerging from growing understanding of the genetic basis of depression and other mental conditions, the ability to detect genes responsible for these conditions and offer therapy based on genetic tests, and the policy questions raised more generally by genetic testing for personalized medical treatment.
To register for the talks check out the Genetics and Public Policy website. Which brings me to my next topic.
From their website:
- Nutrigenomics
- Ancestry Testing
- Paternity Testing
- Pharmacogenomic Testing
Why is this company offering all this testing? Because they can. They have dipped into every market....well almost.....No Genomes here! They have a solid reputation for results. Whether you can utilize them or not is a different story. But nonetheless they are a very reputable testing company. I am surprised that they aren't doing genome sequencing as well...
"Moreover, physicians' calls for scrutiny should themselves be scrutinised, because genetic testing inevitably transfers power from doctors to laymen.
That transfer of power brings responsibility, of course—the responsibility of consumers, aided by the gene-testing companies themselves, to interpret their new knowledge sensibly. If they do not, doctors' surgeries may be flooded with what have come to be known as the worried well, and regulation is sure to follow. If people do take responsibility, however, a healthier life awaits them."
That transfer of power brings responsibility, of course—the responsibility of consumers, aided by the gene-testing companies themselves, to interpret their new knowledge sensibly. If they do not, doctors' surgeries may be flooded with what have come to be known as the worried well, and regulation is sure to follow. If people do take responsibility, however, a healthier life awaits them."
The Sherpa Says:
How can we expect to have laypeople take responsibilty when the medical education community has turned their backs on this field for the last 50 years? How long does it take to make a medical geneticist? 4 years of undergraduate work + 4 years of medical school + minimum 4 years of postgraduate residency = 12 years. Does the layperson need 12 years of study? No. But one year is a minimum.....I hope you agree. BTW there are 2 days left to vote for who will get sued first. It's pretty clear 23 and Me is in the lead.
2 comments:
excellent post, steven. thanks for links to economist. one vote for 23andme from me:)
Thanks for taking the time to help, I really apprciate it.
Post a Comment