05.09.11
Report supplies genetic guidance
Guidance for genetic practice has been given by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), the Royal College of Pathologists and the British Society for Human Genetics in a new report called ‘Consent and confidentiality in clinical genetic practice: Guidance on genetic testing and sharing genetic information.’
With new advances in speed and reduced costs, more clinical applications of genetics are taking place than ever before. While this provides benefits of better diagnosis, risk prediction and clinical management, it also brings ethical and legal issues of management of information relevant to the individual and the family.
Anneke Lucassen, Professor of clinical genetics at University of Southampton said: “As genetic practice expands and is no longer the sole preserve of regional genetics services, the issues around consent and confidentiality are becoming directly relevant to mainstream medical specialties, including general practice.”
The report provides recommendations about informing patients about what happens to their samples, ensuring at relatives are made aware of any risks, and the need to discuss both potential benefits and the possibility of uncertain or unexpected findings.
Lucassen continued: “Most patients attend genetic services at least in part to help their family members, but concern about consent and confidentiality means that many health care professionals are uncertain what they can or cannot disclose to family members. The guidelines make this more explicit and provide useful flow-charts and consent forms to record the wishes of the patient.”
Alison Hall from the PHG Foundation, a genetics policy think-tank, commended the report, saying: “Reliable information is the keystone to good practice in healthcare”, especially when relatives are affected as well as the patient.
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