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Medical ethics case dilemmas
Medical ethics case dilemmas
Medical ethics case dilemmas
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Given advancements in technology and medicine, genetic screening and testing is becoming more commonplace in our society. The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) defines genetic screening as “a search in a population for persons possessing certain genotypes that (1) are already associated with disease or predispose to disease, (2) may lead to disease in their descendants, or (3) produce other variations not known to be associated with disease” (NHGRI, 2005). The term genetic testing is similar, but differs in that it only targets those individuals believed to be at high risk for a genetic disease. For example, testing an asymptomatic person in a family with relatives affected with the condition would constitute genetic testing (NHGRI, 2005). For the purpose of this paper, the two terms will be used interchangeably. Given the growing number of genetic tests available for identifying genetic diseases, it is important to examine the ethical implications of genetic screening as well as the arguments for and against this practice.
While many argue that genetic discovery is a beneficial practice, there are still a significant number of individuals who are against genetic testing. Grosse et al. (2009) argues that decision-making regarding genetic screening should explicitly take into account the principles of ethics and opportunity costs. The authors discuss opportunity costs in terms of what would happen if funding for other health services are displaced due to expensive genetic screening. They argue that screening programs may bring about diagnostic tests and treatments that aren’t necessarily benign but are very costly. Still, policy-makers and clinicians often neglect to consider cost-effectiveness in health care priorit...
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... & Khoury, M.J. (2009). Population screening for genetic disorders in the 21st century: Evidence, economics, and ethics. Public Health Genomics, 1-10.
Heshka, J.T., Palleschi, C., Howley, H., Wilson, B., & Wells, P. (2008). A systematic review of perceived risks, psychological and behavioral impacts of genetic testing. Genetics In Medicine, 10, 19-32.
National Human Genome Research Institute. (2005). Genetic Testing Report-Chapter 1. Retrieved April 18, 2014, from http://www.genome.gov/10002405
Ross, L.F., Saal, H.M., David, K.L., & Anderson, R.R. (2013). Technical report: ethical and policy issues in genetic testing and screening of children. Genetics in Medicine, 15, 234-245.
Savulescu, J. (2007). Genetic interventions and the ethics of the enhancement of human beings. In B. Steinbock (Ed.), Oxford Handbook of Bioethics (pp. 417-427). Oxford University Press.
What are the risks and limitations of genetic testing?. (2014, April 21). Genetics Home Reference, Retrieved from http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/testing/riskslimitations
In order to understand the arguments for and against genetic enhancement, one must first understand what it entails. In 19...
Lewis, Ricki, (2014), Human Genetics, 11th Edition, Chapter 12. Gene Mutation. [VitalSource Bookshelf Online]. Retrieved from
When it comes to genetic diseases and conditions, testing can be very helpful and serve a good purpose. People with diseases that are inheritable to their children are encouraged to be tested. For example, in the article about Jewish testing, it says
First, let's consider the situations in which genetic testing would be beneficial to patients. Genetic testing for diseases that are preventable or treatable could allow individuals to alter their lifestyles so as to treat the disease or reduce their risk of developing the disease. For instance, the E2 version of the APOE gene, which is found on chromosome 19, has been linked to heart disease (Ridley, 1999). Individuals who have two copies of the E2 gene are particularly sensitive to high-fat and high-cholesterol diets. Therefore, a genetic test to determine whether a person has the high-risk version of the APOE gene could inform a person of future health risks, thereby allowing the person to change his diet to help prev...
Within the past thirty years, researchers have found strong evidence linking genes and disease. The development of predictive genetic tests followed shortly after the isolation of certain candidate genes. Although predictive genetic screening is only available for a handful of diseases, its effects and ramifications have become hotly debated issues in a wide range of areas, from government to religion. The debate began in the 1993 when researchers isolated the BRCA1 gene, which is associated with increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. The discovery of this gene led to excitement and speculation of developing a predictive genetic test to identify those women at risk for these cancers. In this paper, I will first describe the biology of genetic testing, and then discuss the pros and cons of predictive genetic testing.
Blatt, R., An Overview of Genetic Screening and Diagnostic Test in Health Care. Obtained form www.geneletter.org/0996/screening.htm
Usage of genetic modification to pick and chose features and personality traits of embryos could conceivably occur in future times. Wealthy individuals could essentially purchase a baby with built-in genetic advantages (Simmons). Ethically, these seem immoral. Playing God and taking control over the natural way of life makes some understandably uneasy. Ultimately, religious and moral standpoints should play a role in the future of genetic engineering, but not control it. Genetic engineering’s advantages far outweigh the cost of a genetically formulated baby and
Sandel, M. J. The case against perfection, ethics in the age of genetic engineering. Belknap Press, 2007. Print.
Prenatal genetic testing has become one of the largest and most influencial advances in clinical genetics today. "Of the over 4000 genetic traits which have been distinguished to date, more than 300 are identifiable via prenatal genetic testing" (Morris, 1993). Every year, thousands of couples are subjecting their lives to the results of prenatal tests. For some, the information may be a sigh of relief, for others a tear of terror. The psychological effects following a prenatal test can be devastating, leaving the woman with a decision which will affect the rest of her life.
The evolution of technology has been hand in hand with the human subjugation of earth, but the question persists, when does the use of technology go too far? Advances in medical science have tremendously improved the average human lifespan and the quality of life for individuals. Medical science and biology are steadily arriving at new ways to make humans superior by the use of advanced genetic alteration. This ability raises the question of how ought this new technology be used, if at all? The idea of human enhancement is a very general, since humans are constantly “enhancing” themselves through the use of tools. In referring to human enhancement, I am specifically referring to the use of genetic intervention prior to birth. Julian Savulescu in his, “Genetic Interventions and the Ethics of Enhancement of Human Beings” argues that it is not only permissible to intervene genetically, but is morally obligatory. In this paper I will argue that it is not morally obligatory to genetically intervene, but may be permissible under the criterion established by Savulescu. I plan to argue that the argument used by Savulescu for the obligation to genetically intervene is not the same obligation as the prevention and treatment of disease. The ability for humans to genetically intervene is not sufficient to provide a moral obligation.
The "Genetic Screening" Genetic Screening. NDSU,. Web. The Web. The Web.
Savulescu, Julian. “Genetic Interventions and the Ethics of Human Beings.” Readings in the Philosophy of Technology. Ed. David Kaplan. 2nd ed. Lanham: Roman & Littlefield, 2009. 417-430.
Coughlin, S. S. (2002). Future challenges for research on diagnostic tests: genetic tests and disease prevention. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 56(5), 335-336. doi:10.1136/jech.56.5.335
Pray, Leslie A., Ph.D. “Embryo Screening and the Ethics of Human Genetic Engineering.” Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, 2008. Web. The Web.