PCPs to face ethical dilemma of genetics
PCPs to face ethical dilemma of genetics
Doctor/patient relationship may improve
In the near future, genomics will become an ordinary part of physician office visits, predicts Kenneth W. Goodman, PhD, professor and director of the University of Miami (FL)'s Bioethics Program.
"Everything is changing very quickly. The cost of genetic tests is going way down, and that means that genetic information is going to be insinuating itself with greater frequency into clinical practice," says Goodman.
This means that clinicians need to consider ethical issues and improve their understanding of the utility of the new genetic tools — what they can tell a physician, and equally important, what they can't tell the physician, says Goodman.
If a physician isn't prepared to advise patients about how to interpret the results of genetic testing, Goodman says that he or she should not "wing" it. It would be analogous to practicing beyond your capacity, which is always a bad idea. You need to learn some genetics before you talk to patients about genetics."
Goodman says that quite possibly, genetic testing will improve some aspects of the doctor/patient relationship. "In order to communicate effectively about genetic information, you need to really know your patient," he explains.
In hands of PCPs
"We are at the beginning now. The challenge is figuring out how quickly things will change," says Goodman. "If history is a guide, they will change very quickly."
Primary care physicians may soon make recommendations and customize medications based on a patient's genetic profile. "If and when the standard of care changes, then every physician is going to learn genetics," Goodman says.
Just as an internist would consult with a cardiologist about a patient with heart disease, primary care doctors need to consult with geneticists and genetic counselors, advises Robert W. Marion, MD, chief of the section of child development in the department of pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY.
"They need to use the experts in the field to help them interpret this information," says Marion. "That's not happening all the time, and it needs to happen." The number of geneticists and genetic counselors needs to increase, he adds, so these individuals can act as liaisons between the labs and the medical community.
"As time passes, this will be more and more in the hands of primary care doctors," adds Marion. "They will need to familiarize themselves with the ABCs of genetic testing."
In the near future, genomics will become an ordinary part of physician office visits, predicts Kenneth W. Goodman, PhD, professor and director of the University of Miami (FL)'s Bioethics Program.Subscribe Now for Access
You have reached your article limit for the month. We hope you found our articles both enjoyable and insightful. For information on new subscriptions, product trials, alternative billing arrangements or group and site discounts please call 800-688-2421. We look forward to having you as a long-term member of the Relias Media community.