Genetic Controversies Flashcards
What do clinical geneticists do?
- Identify patients with or at risk of a genetic conditions
- Communicate genetic information
- Offer people recommendations regarding screen
- Discuss implications of gene testing
- Options regarding treatment
What are some ethical terms?
- Respect
- Autonomy
- Beneficence
- Non-malfeasance
- Justice
What is an ethical dilemma?
Situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two courses of action, either of which entails transgressing a moral princip
What are some ethical issues to be considered when a patient asks to be screened for Huntington’s disease?
- Implications of result being positive/negative
- Insurances
- Potential impact of testing on self, family and work
What are different forms of prenatal diagnosis?
- Chorionic villus sampling
- >11 weeks
- Amniocentesis
- >15 weeks
When can chorionic villus sampling happen?
>11 weeks gestation
When can amniocentesis happen?
>15 weeks
What must be considered before prenatal diagnosis?
Risks
For example, amniocentesis reveals Turner’s syndrome so the couple want to consider termination, what are some ethical issues?
- Professional responsibility to couple
- Self-awareness
- Autonomy, trusting patient to know what is right for them
- Supporting the couple in decision
What are ethical issues to consider if someone requests screening for breast cancer gene mutation (BRCA1 and BRCA2)?
- Secrecy within families, parents might not want to tell children
- Maintain patients autonomy but consider non-malfeasance for the children as condition can be treatable if discovered
- Parents disagree as to what to share with their children
Since a doctor will support many patients with ethical issues over their career, what must they do to manage the impact on themselves?
- Maintain objective approach
- Be self-aware
- Seek support/discuss cases with others
