Second National
Conference on Genetics and Disease Prevention
The First
National Conference on Genetics and Disease Prevention provided a forum for public health professionals at all levels of practice to
discuss the implications of human genetics discoveries. This Second National Conference will challenge health care
decision-makers to think critically about integrating genetics into public health policy, research, and practice.
Questions to be addressed in plenary sessions
(responses will be available in reviews once the conference is over)
I. Overview of Advances in Human Genetics
- What is the status of the Human Genome
Project?
- How will our understanding of the human genome transform medicine in the future?
II. Genetics a from Public Health
Perspective
- What population-based research must be done to turn genetic discoveries into opportunities to improve health and prevent disease?
- What kind of policy research is needed to incorporate advances in genetics into health policy?
- How can public health agencies and
schools of public health facilitate the integration of genetic tests and services into public health
practice?
III. Developing Genetics Capacity within Public Health Infrastructure
- How can existing health-data systems be expanded to include genetic information?
- What should be done to ensure the effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of genetic tests and services?
- How can we ensure that health professionals are competent in the appropriate use of genetic information?
IV. Emerging Genetic Technologies: Impact on the Future
- What are the latest developments in genetic technology?
- How might these and future technological advances improve health and prevent disease?
V. Community Perspectives on Genetics
- What experiences and concerns do different communities have with genetic research and testing?
- How can communities be engaged in
discussions about the risks and benefits of genetic research and testing?
VI. Preventing Disease Through Genetic Knowledge:
A Case Study of a
Heritable Syndrome for Colon Cancer
- What
public health research (e.g., epidemiology, prevention
effectiveness) followed the discovery of genes associated
with the syndrome?
- What
standards of practice have been developed from this
research?
- What lessons does this example provide for future developments in
genetics?
VII. Privacy and
Confidentiality
- What are the privacy and confidentiality issues related to medical records in general?
- How is genetic information similar to and different from other types of health data that is kept in medical records?
-
What is being done to assess effective policy options around the issue of genetic information?
VIII. Financing of Public Health
Functions
- What is the government’s role in financing the integration of genetic information into public health research and practice?
- What other financial resources are
available?
IX. Challenge for the Future: Partnerships to Promote
Health
- How can public agencies collaborate with one another and form partnerships with private organizations in using genetic discoveries to improve health and prevent disease?
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