International Encyclopedia of Communication Online

Extract

Much has been written in recent years about the issues of disclosing and communicating health information (including genetic information) in biomedical research and medical practice. Various guidelines and policy statements have been adopted internationally, but these are contradictory and the criteria they set out sometimes vague. Given the complexity of the ethical landscape surrounding this topic, particularly in regard to genetic risk and predictability of disease, guidance is undeniably needed on this issue. In fact, the proliferation of tests to identify individuals with an increased risk of genetic disease has led to a re-evaluation of the duties of researchers, physicians, and other health-care professionals. Considering the speed at which genetic technologies are moving from bench to bedside, the questions of (1) whether researchers should communicate research results, (2) whether physicians should recontact patients concerning new information that might be useful to them, and (3) whether physicians should inform family members of relevant genetic information are becoming increasingly important (→  Bad News in Medicine, Communicating ; Health Communication, Ethics in ). These questions correspond to the current changes taking place in the spheres of knowledge, social and cultural values and norms, and individual life experience. Currently, changes in professional attitudes ... log in or subscribe to read full text