...biological research. There are a number of bioethical issues that are being carefully addressed as they arise. Some are easily remedied and some still remain very controversial. In this paper we will explore the use of genetic trait testing, access to genetic information as well as the issue of vaccinating or not. With regards to bioethical related data the accessing, storing, gathering, and sharing medical data for the purpose of using the data for the scientific purpose of research is still a controversial issue in the scientific community. There is no basic problem with sharing medical data electronically, with the implementation of EHR, electronic health records. However, there is yet to be formal ethical guidelines established for the use of this data in the biological sciences community. There have been guidelines introduced for developing ethical principles with the ultimate goal of winning over the scientific community to incorporate the use of this data into their existing code of ethics. The scientific community has an obligation to share this data, if permitted by the patient, for research purposes. It also can be a major factor that could increase the trust of the public with regards to scientific research. Society also had concerns about employers having access to genetic information. (Duke & Porter, 2013) With the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) employers are prohibited to use this information for the purpose of employment selection, firing...
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...Institutional Affiliation: Introduction Integration of genetics into public health is essential in predicting patient risk for common diseases. Genetic research creates new information and technology that will assist in improving population health. Most of the ailments arise from the interactions among the environmental factors, human factors as well as genetics. Public health genomics will assist in disease prevention and health improvement to individuals who are at a higher risk due to their genetic makeup (Khoury, 2000). Health professionals by applying genetic research are everyday coming up with new discoveries in areas like birth defects, heart diseases and cancer improving health services for the public (Brand A, 2006). However, there is no need to allocate significant resources on genomics for public health. Resources Spent On Genomics for Public Health Significant resources should not be allocated to genomics for public health. This is because genetic research is not necessary beneficial to all individuals. It mostly applies to specific persons due to their genetic makeup. Pubic health sector can prioritize by establishing which genetic research will be most beneficial to the population as a whole. The rest of the diseases are left out since their effects are not adverse. There is also the risk of possible misuse of genetic information (Laberge, 2004). Newborn genetic screening discovers treatable genetic disorders in newborn babies. Newborn screening for phenylketonuria...
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...ELSI issues encompassing the HeLa cells are muddled, in light of the fact that the cells have been utilized for numerous scientific advancements. HeLa cells were used to build up polio vaccine, in-vitro fertilization, cancer treatment, AIDS research, Gene mapping, cloning and so much more. The HeLa cells were also sent to space to test the effects of zero gravity. Though Mrs. Lacks died early, she gave her invaluable tumor cells as a gift which is being used in research and will be used for many years to come. The research by scientists on HeLa cells brings up numerous ethical, legal and social issues encompassing Henrietta Lacks cells, known as HeLa cells. It raises the basic issues concerning the privileges of patients who have had tissue removed and utilized for discovery of new medications. Regardless of ongoing scrutiny of the ELSI issues in HeLa cell line controversy, the whole genome sequence of HeLa cells was published by JJ. Landry along with his team of researchers in 2013. They did not break laws or rules by doing so. As...
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...GENETIC COUNSELING IN NURSING AND ETHICS Hyang Ko Azusa Pacific University Abstract The current development of genetic information and technique leaves us assignments. It is included ethical issues, roles of nurses, and the responsibilities in healthcare professionals. In order to understand nurses’ role and responsibilities and to provide genetic counseling, two research article with text books were reviewed. There were conflicts within ethical principles and nurses’ obligation. Each principle is important but one principle is superior to others when healthcare professionals make a decision in a certain context. It is necessary that genetic counseling is provided to patients and their family when healthcare professionals deal with genetic information. The two research articles empathized that experienced nurses are excellent candidates in genetic counseling within healthcare professionals by being educated, trained about genetic information. Genetic Counseling in Nursing and Ethics Definitions of Genetics and Genetic Counseling Officially, the terms of Genetics and genetic counseling is defined by Wekipidia as below: Genetics, a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetics). Genetic counseling is the process by which patients or relatives, at risk of an inherited disorder, are advised of the consequences and nature of the disorder, the probability of developing or transmitting...
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...Genetic testing is currently available for more than 1000 conditions, and it is increasingly considered an integral component of mainstream health care (Burke, 2004). Furthermore, many genetic tests are now being marketed directly to consumers. The increased availability of genetic testing may result in a wider distribution of the benefits of testing, such as decreased uncertainty, the chance to avoid passing on a gene mutation to future generations, increased psychological well-being, and greater awareness of available treatments or risk-reducing strategies, but it may also contribute to an increase in the risks associated with genetic testing, such as decreased individual and family well-being; increased depression, anxiety, guilt, stigmatization, discrimination, and family conflict; and unnecessary or inappropriate use of risk-reducing options (Riper & Gallo, 2005). Money is maybe the most important driving force in the modern era of biotechnology. Genome and genetic findings have been given also financial value. The possibility to test for genetically-based individual susceptibility provides new ideas for marketable products. In an industrial worker, a metabolic polymorphism that causes an increased risk for cancer would create an avoidable financial burden in industry and insurance companies. The involvement of such financial aspects brings along several ethical implications in genetic research. The first aspect is the motivation of scientists that...
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...rise to many ethical as well as social reactions from the public opinion, non-governmental organization, and the media. This paper aims at providing some insights into this dilemmas, ethical concerns, and the tradeoffs which have been expressed concerning biotechnology over the last decade. It will focus on a few major objects from different sectors that have raised the general attention. A large part of the public opinion agrees and is optimistic about the ability of biotechnology to help and change the quality of life. However, there are visible differences that have been pointed out by global support that aims at moderating the biotechnology use. The Reasoning of Opposing Perspective on Ethical Issues within the Field of Biomedicine The regulation and development of biotechnology has triggered many discussions from various academic fields like the law, economics, politics, and even the history. Specifically, however, the science of genetic engineering of plants, animals, human beings, and all living cells has brought about ethical concerns and various issues to the forefront. Technology has made possible many advancements in biomedicine such as the cloning of the sheep- Dolly, the genetically engineered tomatoes, and the cloning of the human embryo. All these advancements have seen different reactions all in the name of ethics. The classical division existing between the society and science doesn’t seem to revolve when biotechnology is viewed through an ethical lens. Indeed...
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...to nondirective counseling. It has no requirement to value-neutrality. The counselor’s values are expressed to undermine patients’ ability to make decisions for them. Autonomy respect in genetic counseling requires no greater circumspection about values than in any other counseling in health care (Robert Wachbroit & David Wasserman, 1995). Value neutrality is argued to be neither possible nor desirable but arises from conceptions of fewer objectives and less suitable values for public discourse. Nondirectiveness requires the counselor to adopt the most effective methods in ensuring that the choices of the patients about genetic testing are well informed and voluntary. Patients should be made to understand and appropriately respond to the results of genetic tests and diagnoses. The nondirective approach stipulates that the appropriate response is the one from the patient herself as long as it results from the fact that she understands the facts and reflects her values truly. Nondirective genetic counseling ensures that patients are well aware of genetic risks and their freedom of choosing whether or not to go for testing and ways of responding to positive test results. This is the respect for patient autonomy. On the contrary, value neutrality...
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...an analysis on how ethical conflicts arise in the actuarial profession. Through extensive research we uncover many conflicts of interest and ethical dilemmas that actuaries can face during their everyday work and careers. In particular we look at how genetic factors and rating criterion create conflict. We look at ethical conflict with respect to testimony, pension and reserve actuaries, and also how external watchdogs play a role in auditing actuaries’ decisions. We found that actuaries must always be alert and prepared to deal with these ethical conflicts. They must be aware that their actions can have an impact on the financial future of a company, the insurance rates of an individual, or otherwise could result in a problem for themselves. They must also be aware that there are external watchdogs in place to make sure they are not forging numbers but are instead making informed and accurate decisions. We recommend that students who intend to pursue actuarial studies take a course called Introduction to Actuarial Practice (MTHEL 131). We also recommend that the faculty should modify this course to put more weight on professionalism and ethics to emphasise the importance of the subject. This will educate students so they can make informed and ethically sound decisions in their future careers. Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………....…....…1 2.0 Methods…………………………………………………………………......…………....……3 3.0 Background Information……………………………………………………...
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...Impact of Genetic Modification of Food on global food marketing Since genetically modified (GM) food has entered the global food market in early mid 1990s and corn, rice, canola oil and soybeans become among the first FDA-approved Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), large companies such as Monsanto, Nestle and PepsiCo experienced cost benefits with these new ingredients and the trend has quickly spread to other sects of the food industry. Genetically modified food can be defined as organisms in which genetic material has been altered by recombinant DNA technology. It sparks controversy among agricultural sectors. Some may advocate that such biotechnology generates a set of potential benefits to producers or consumers with cheaper production costs and food attribute enhancements while others may dispute the possible costs of unintended allergic responses, long-term health and environmental effects, ethical or moral issues. Consumers’ perceptions of these potential benefits and costs shape market responses to the new technologies and eventually determine how widely the technology is adopted. This essay will discuss the issues around genetic modification of food and the impact of them on how food is marketed globally. Table 1 below shows the PESTLE analysis to examine the external environment for GM food. Politically, GMOs regulations differ in countries, with marked differences between US and EU. Many GM plants including varieties of soya bean, cotton, maize and rice not...
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...Should Genes be Patented? Patenting genetic discoveries have proven to be controversial throughout the years. There are now patents that are associated with many of the genes within the human genome. Patents are issued to encourage innovation and protect those investing in genetic research the opportunity to maximize profit. During this period, another party can use the discovery to develop a product only with a licensing agreement; however, basic researchers can use it freely. Some argue that this period of exclusivity fosters commercial development of the discovery by discouraging competition. Yet the patenting of genes is not without controversy. Some reject the entire concept of patenting, while others have objections to the patenting of only specific types of DNA sequences. It has also been argued that patents inhibit or limit biomedical research all together. The patenting of human genetic material raises complex social, ethical, and policy issues such as the potential for discrimination in access to healthcare services or employment, and the implications for ongoing research and access to services. The patentability of inventions concerning human genetic material is determined by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). To obtain a patent, the invention must meet four criteria. The invention must be “useful” in a practical sense, “novel” (not known or used before filing), “nonobvious” (not an improvement easily made by someone trained in the relevant area), and the...
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...Analysis of an Ethical Dilemma Part Two NRS-437V Ethical Decision Making in Health Care Grand Canyon University Today’s world is filled with endless controversial arguments, ethical debates, and a constant clashing of varying perspectives and outlooks. This is especially relevant to posthumous reproduction, which has sparked many disputes in the global world. Even in our own social circles, the viewpoints on posthumous reproduction tend to be varied. Additionally, posthumous production raises many moral, legal, and ethical concerns. Currently, hospitals do not have a strong ethical stand on posthumous reproduction, but recently they have been forced to develop policies regarding consent, and other legal practices. The following are four interviews done by the writers’ involved four different individuals, a hospital administrator, spiritual leader, healthcare colleague, and a friend. The writers also came to a resolution of dilemma based on research. The information presented is based on the ethical dilemma of a child dying, the parents desire to harvest the child’s eggs for the opportunity to conceive another child or treat any potential genetic anomalies. One of the researchers interviewed the hospital administer where she works. Regarding "posthumous reproduction", the administrator stated that the hospital offers this advanced technology to spouses of patients who meet criteria. The administrator agreed...
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...Software Development 2010 Ethical Issues in Information Technology There are a great variety of ethical issues in I.T.: 1 Ethical dilemmas There are various ethical dilemmas in relation to I.T. that need to be addressed. What are and are not ethical issues in I.T.? In regard to hackers, for example, are they testing the system or performing an immoral action? Will genetic engineering improve the quality of peoples’ lives or start to destroy it? How do we recognise when an ethical dilemma exists? There are, indeed, many grey ethical areas. 2 Plagiarism Plagiarism is where the work of others is copied, but the author presents it as his or her own work. This is a highly unethical practice, but happens quite frequently, and with all the information that is now available on the Internet it is much easier to do and is happening more often. 3 Piracy Piracy, the illegal copying of software, is a very serious problem, and it is estimated that approximately 50% of all programs on PCs are pirated copies. Programmers spend hours and hours designing programs, using elaborate code, and surely need to be protected. Although some might argue that some pirating at least should be permitted as it can help to lead to a more computer literate population. But, for corporations, in particular, this is a very serious issue, and can significantly damage profit margins. 4 Hacking Hackers break into, or ‘hack’ into a system. Hacking can be undertaken for a variety of reasons, such as the wish to damage...
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...“Inappropriate genetic testing can threaten individual autonomy, privacy, and confidentiality and lead to various types of genetic stigmatization and discrimination without any commensurate benefit for the individual tested,” (Brandt; Rauf, 2004). When Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) tested their employees without the employees knowing about it, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) stepped in and cited that BNSF violated the employee’s equal rights through discrimination and the employee’s rights of privacy. These actions “raise serious concerns that such testing could pose a significant threat to workers' privacy, autonomy, and dignity. Thus, defining the ethically, legally, and socially appropriate and inappropriate uses of genetic testing in the workplace,” (DEHS, 2001) presents a major breach in a workers legal right to privacy. One hundred and twenty-five BNSF employees filed on-the-job injury claims citing carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) for “years of repetitive activity such as wielding a wrench or operating a jackhammer,” (Lehrer, 2001; UNK, 2001). While investigating these claims, BNSF medical doctor required further testing of 20 employees (UNK, 2001). The medical company pulled blood for genetic testing without telling the BNSF employees what kind of test that they were performing, (Mahanna, 2001; Schafer, 2001; BNSF, 2002; Lehrer, 2001; Lewin, 2002). One employee refused to submit to the tests and BNSF threatened to terminate his job (Lewin;...
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...Ethical Dilemmas in Global Health Care Kanjirathingal, Elsy Grand Canyon University NRS-437V Ethical Decision Making in HC (O102) 18-December-2010 Ethical dilemmas are becoming very common in today’s healthcare and often it extends beyond the boundaries of age, race, gender and ethnicity. Dilemma is not easily solved or it becomes more evident when no acceptable alternatives are found. Most of the times dilemma produces very painful or distressful situations to the people who are involved. Issues that we see in our community or we come across in our daily career are often magnified in the global community. The article “The dilemma of D-generation” from the Sunday mail describes the ethical dilemma of issues of identity of the growing children who are born from anonymous donors. Even though these children have fantastic relationship with their parents the question of identity, heritage and history remains as a tragedy. However, as nurses we should recognize the ethical issues and able to find the resolution that arises from these ethical dilemmas (Hansen, 2010). Event and Ethical Implications The dilemma of D-generation in the Sunday mail describes about the different identity issues of the children who are born from unknown fathers. The method of in vitro fertilization (IVF) became a blessing of many families who have weakened or no reproductive strength. The mystery of creating a new life in a women’s womb become more...
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...GENETICS CASE STUDY GENETICS CASE STUDY This case study is based on a high-risk pregnancy due to advanced maternal age, genetic test indicating the fetus to have Tay-Sachs Disease and the coping strategies for this family. Rita Trosack is a 43-year old white female, married for six years to husband, Peter, a 46-year old white male. They both work in the financial district of Chicago and live downtown. They have been trying to conceive for two years. They both work an average of sixty hours a week. Rita and Peter were both raised as Catholics; however, they choose not to practice at this time. Rita missed her menstrual period, began having typical signs and symptoms of pregnancy (nausea, dry heaving, tender breasts, and fatigue). The fatigue was so severe she decreased her hours at the bank. An early pregnancy test performed by Rita tested positive. She then calculated her due date as January 27, 2009, since her last menstrual period (LMP) began on April 20, 2008. Rita met with Dr. Zimmerly an obstetrician in a high-risk obstetric clinic. On this first visit he confirmed the estimated date of delivery (EDD) as late January 2009. Due to Rita’s age, the chorionic villus sampling (CVS) was recommended to screen for fetal genetic defects. Rita had the test in early July, which would place her around eleven weeks into her pregnancy; this is the appropriate time in which to perform the CVS. Amniocentesis could have been performed, but this is usually...
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