Newswise — The Genetics and Public Policy Center at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics has launched a new study on the policy challenges of incorporating whole genome sequencing (WGS) technology into medical care. The three-year study, which commenced August 1, is funded by a $1.7 million grant from the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and is a collaboration between the Genetics and Public Policy Center (GPPC), Baylor College of Medicine, Duke University and the Center for Medical Technology Policy.
“Since the human genome was sequenced, the next challenge has been translating our evolving knowledge of genomic sequence to practical patient care,” says David Kaufman, PhD, the GPPC’s director of Research and Statistics, who will lead the study with Amy McGuire, JD, PhD, at Baylor College of Medicine. “This study will identify the most pressing policy issues of genomic healthcare and make recommendations to address them,” Kaufman says.
The study will take a two-fold approach, first analyzing the emerging clinical WGS industry and gathering first-person assessments of the critical issues from industry leaders. The study will then work with a panel of stakeholders representing a broad range of interests to prioritize these challenges, and examine how they are – or are not – addressed by current regulatory frameworks. Policy approaches will be developed to address three high-priority issues, one from each area of the team's expertise: test quality and validity, healthcare reimbursement, and intellectual property.
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About The Genetics and Public Policy CenterThe Genetics and Public Policy Center was created in 2002 at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics with funding from Pew Charitable Trusts, to help policymakers, the press and the public understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities of genetic medicine and its potential to transform global public health. For more information: http://www.dnapolicy.org/
About the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of BioethicsOne of the largest centers of its kind in the world, the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics is the home for collaborative scholarship and teaching on the ethics of clinical practice, public health and biomedical science at Johns Hopkins University. Since 1995, the Institute has worked with governmental agencies, nongovernmental organizations and private sector organizations to address and resolve ethical issues. More information is available at www.bioethicsinstitute.org.
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