Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing

Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309162165
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 106

Book Description
Today, scores of companies, primarily in the United States and Europe, are offering whole genome scanning services directly to the public. The proliferation of these companies and the services they offer demonstrate a public appetite for this information and where the future of genetics may be headed; they also demonstrate the need for serious discussion about the regulatory environment, patient privacy, and other policy implications of direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing. Rapid advances in genetic research already have begun to transform clinical practice and our understanding of disease progression. Existing research has revealed a genetic basis or component for numerous diseases, including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, heart disease, and several forms of cancer. The availability of the human genome sequence and the HapMap, plummeting costs of high-throughput screening, and increasingly sophisticated computational analyses have led to an explosion of discoveries of linkages between patterns of genetic variation and disease susceptibility. While this research is by no means a straight path toward better public health, improved knowledge of the genetic linkages has the potential to change fundamentally the way health professionals and public health practitioners approach the prevention and treatment of disease. Realizing this potential will require greater sophistication in the interpretation of genetic tests, new training for physicians and other diagnosticians, and new approaches to communicating findings to the public. As this rapidly growing field matures, all of these questions require attention from a variety of perspectives. To discuss some of the foregoing issues, several units of the National Academies held a workshop on August 31 and September 1, 2009, to bring together a still-developing community of professionals from a variety of relevant disciplines, to educate the public and policy-makers about this emerging field, and to identify issues for future study. The meeting featured several invited presentations and discussions on the many technical, legal, policy, and ethical questions that such DTC testing raises, including: (1) overview of the current state of knowledge and the future research trajectory; (2) shared genes and emerging issues in privacy; (3) the regulatory framework; and (4) education of the public and the medical community.

Assessing Genetic Risks

Assessing Genetic Risks PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309047986
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 353

Book Description
Raising hopes for disease treatment and prevention, but also the specter of discrimination and "designer genes," genetic testing is potentially one of the most socially explosive developments of our time. This book presents a current assessment of this rapidly evolving field, offering principles for actions and research and recommendations on key issues in genetic testing and screening. Advantages of early genetic knowledge are balanced with issues associated with such knowledge: availability of treatment, privacy and discrimination, personal decision-making, public health objectives, cost, and more. Among the important issues covered: Quality control in genetic testing. Appropriate roles for public agencies, private health practitioners, and laboratories. Value-neutral education and counseling for persons considering testing. Use of test results in insurance, employment, and other settings.

Human Genetics and Genomics

Human Genetics and Genomics PDF Author: Bruce R. Korf
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118537661
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 280

Book Description
This fourth edition of the best-selling textbook, Human Genetics and Genomics, clearly explains the key principles needed by medical and health sciences students, from the basis of molecular genetics, to clinical applications used in the treatment of both rare and common conditions. A newly expanded Part 1, Basic Principles of Human Genetics, focuses on introducing the reader to key concepts such as Mendelian principles, DNA replication and gene expression. Part 2, Genetics and Genomics in Medical Practice, uses case scenarios to help you engage with current genetic practice. Now featuring full-color diagrams, Human Genetics and Genomics has been rigorously updated to reflect today’s genetics teaching, and includes updated discussion of genetic risk assessment, “single gene” disorders and therapeutics. Key learning features include: Clinical snapshots to help relate science to practice 'Hot topics' boxes that focus on the latest developments in testing, assessment and treatment 'Ethical issues' boxes to prompt further thought and discussion on the implications of genetic developments 'Sources of information' boxes to assist with the practicalities of clinical research and information provision Self-assessment review questions in each chapter Accompanied by the Wiley E-Text digital edition (included in the price of the book), Human Genetics and Genomics is also fully supported by a suite of online resources at www.korfgenetics.com, including: Factsheets on 100 genetic disorders, ideal for study and exam preparation Interactive Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) with feedback on all answers Links to online resources for further study Figures from the book available as PowerPoint slides, ideal for teaching purposes The perfect companion to the genetics component of both problem-based learning and integrated medical courses, Human Genetics and Genomics presents the ideal balance between the bio-molecular basis of genetics and clinical cases, and provides an invaluable overview for anyone wishing to engage with this fast-moving discipline.

The Disease Delusion

The Disease Delusion PDF Author: Dr. Jeffrey S. Bland
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0062290754
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 399

Book Description
For decades, Dr. Jeffrey Bland has been on the cutting edge of Functional Medicine, which seeks to pinpoint and prevent the cause of illness, rather than treat its symptoms. Managing chronic diseases accounts for three quarters of our total healthcare costs, because we’re masking these illnesses with pills and temporary treatments, rather than addressing their underlying causes, he argues. Worse, only treating symptoms leads us down the path of further illness. In The Disease Delusion, Dr. Bland explains what Functional Medicine is and what it can do for you. While advances in modern science have nearly doubled our lifespans in only four generations, our quality of life has not reached its full potential. Outlining the reasons why we suffer chronic diseases from asthma and diabetes to obesity, arthritis and cancer to a host of other ailments, Dr. Bland offers achievable, science-based solutions that can alleviate these common conditions and offers a roadmap for a lifetime of wellness.

Direct to Consumer Testing: The Role of Laboratory Medicine, An Issue of Cardiology Clinics

Direct to Consumer Testing: The Role of Laboratory Medicine, An Issue of Cardiology Clinics PDF Author: Nicole V Tolan
Publisher: Elsevier Health Sciences
ISBN: 0323754457
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages :

Book Description
This issue of Clinics in Laboratory Medicine, guest edited by Drs. Nicole V. Tolan and Robert Nerenz, will cover Direct to Consumer Testing: The Role of Laboratory Medicine. This issue is one of four selected each year by our Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Milenko Jovan Tanasijevic. Topics discussed in this issue will include: Health Literacy, Identifying Valuable Tests, Challenges with At-Home and Mail-In Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing, Self-Ordering and Interpretations, American Association for Clinical Chemistry Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing Position Statement, Data Disjunction, Integration of At-Home Testing, Wearable Devices, Oncogene Panels and Risk Calculations, Ethics, and Pharmacy’s Integration and Testing Offered, among others.

Genomic and Personalized Medicine

Genomic and Personalized Medicine PDF Author: Geoffrey S. Ginsburg
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0123822270
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 1343

Book Description
Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Second Edition - winner of a 2013 Highly Commended BMA Medical Book Award for Medicine - is a major discussion of the structure, history, and applications of the field, as it emerges from the campus and lab into clinical action. As with the first edition, leading experts review the development of the new science, the current opportunities for genome-based analysis in healthcare, and the potential of genomic medicine in future healthcare. The inclusion of the latest information on diagnostic testing, population screening, disease susceptability, and pharmacogenomics makes this work an ideal companion for the many stakeholders of genomic and personalized medicine. With advancing knowledge of the genome across and outside protein-coding regions of DNA, new comprehension of genomic variation and frequencies across populations, the elucidation of advanced strategic approaches to genomic study, and above all in the elaboration of next-generation sequencing, genomic medicine has begun to achieve the much-vaunted transformative health outcomes of the Human Genome Project, almost a decade after its official completion in April 2003. Highly Commended 2013 BMA Medical Book Award for Medicine More than 100 chapters, from leading researchers, review the many impacts of genomic discoveries in clinical action, including 63 chapters new to this edition Discusses state-of-the-art genome technologies, including population screening, novel diagnostics, and gene-based therapeutics Wide and inclusive discussion encompasses the formidable ethical, legal, regulatory and social challenges related to the evolving practice of genomic medicine Clearly and beautifully illustrated with 280 color figures, and many thousands of references for further reading and deeper analysis

The $1,000 Genome

The $1,000 Genome PDF Author: Kevin Davies
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1416570187
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 354

Book Description
In this essential guide to the brave new future, Dr. Kevin Davies, author of Cracking the Genome, reveals the masterful ingenuity that transformed the process of decoding DNA and vividly brings the extraordinary drama of the grand scientific achievement to life. In 2000, President Bill Clinton signaled the completion of the Human Genome Project at a cost in excess of $2 billion. A decade later, the price for any of us to order our own personal genome sequence—a comprehensive map of the 3 billion letters in our DNA—had already dropped to just $1,000. Dozens of men and women—scientists, entrepreneurs, celebrities, and patients—have already been sequenced, pioneering a bold new era of personalized genomic medicine. The $1,000 genome has long been considered the tipping point that would open the floodgates to this revolution. How has this astonishing achievement been accomplished? To research the story of this unfolding revolution, critically acclaimed science writer Kevin Davies traveled to the leading centers and interviewed the entrepreneurs and pioneers in the race to achieve the $1,000 genome. Davies also profiles the future of genomic medicine and thoughtfully explores the many pressing issues raised by the tidal wave of personal genetic information.

Annual Review of Nursing Research, Volume 29

Annual Review of Nursing Research, Volume 29 PDF Author: Ginette A. Pepper
Publisher: Springer Publishing Company
ISBN: 0826157548
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 402

Book Description
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CyberGenetics

CyberGenetics PDF Author: Anna Harris
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317368185
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 176

Book Description
Online genetic testing services are increasingly being offered to consumers who are becoming exposed to, and knowledgeable about, new kinds of genetic technologies, as the launch of a 23andme genetic testing product in the UK testifies. Genetic research breakthroughs, cheek swabbing forensic pathologists and celebrities discovering their ancestral roots are littered throughout the North American, European and Australasian media landscapes. Genetic testing is now capturing the attention, and imagination, of hundreds of thousands of people who can not only buy genetic tests online, but can also go online to find relatives, share their results with strangers, sign up for personal DNA-based musical scores, and take part in research. This book critically examines this market of direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing from a social science perspective, asking, what happens when genetics goes online? With a focus on genetic testing for disease, the book is about the new social arrangements which emerge when a traditionally clinical practice (genetic testing) is taken into new spaces (the internet). It examines the intersections of new genetics and new media by drawing from three different fields: internet studies; the sociology of health; and science and technology studies. While there has been a surge of research activity concerning DTC genetic testing, particularly in sociology, ethics and law, this is the first scholarly monograph on the topic, and the first book which brings together the social study of genetics and the social study of digital technologies. This book thus not only offers a new overview of this field, but also offers a unique contribution by attending to the digital, and by drawing upon empirical examples from our own research of DTC genetic testing websites (using online methods) and in-depth interviews in the United Kingdom with people using healthcare services.

The Value of Genetic and Genomic Technologies

The Value of Genetic and Genomic Technologies PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309157714
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 108

Book Description
Knowing one's genetic disposition to a variety of diseases, including common chronic diseases, can benefit both the individual and society at large. The IOM's Roundtable on Translating Genomic-Based Research for Health held a workshop on March 22, 2010, to bring together diverse perspectives on the value of genetic testing, and to discuss its use in clinical practice.