Ethical Considerations Regarding Classroom Use of Personal Genomic Information
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Authors:
Lisa S. Parker1,*,
Robin Grubs2
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Published 15 December 2014
- *Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Human Genetics and Center for Bioethics and Health Law, University of Pittsburgh, 519 Barco Law Building, 3900 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15260. Phone: 412-648-7007. Fax: 412-648-2649. E-mail: [email protected].
- ©2014 Author(s). Published by the American Society for Microbiology.
Abstract:
Rapidly decreasing costs of genetic technologies—especially next-generation sequencing—and intensifying need for a clinical workforce trained in genomic medicine have increased interest in having students use personal genomic information to motivate and enhance genomics education. Numerous ethical issues attend classroom/pedagogical use of students’ personal genomic information, including their informed decision to participate, pressures to participate, privacy concerns, and psychosocial sequelae of learning genomic information. This paper addresses these issues, advocates explicit discussion of these issues to cultivate students’ ethical reasoning skills, suggests ways to mitigate potential harms, and recommends collection of ethically relevant data regarding pedagogical use of personal genomic information.
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Abstract:
Rapidly decreasing costs of genetic technologies—especially next-generation sequencing—and intensifying need for a clinical workforce trained in genomic medicine have increased interest in having students use personal genomic information to motivate and enhance genomics education. Numerous ethical issues attend classroom/pedagogical use of students’ personal genomic information, including their informed decision to participate, pressures to participate, privacy concerns, and psychosocial sequelae of learning genomic information. This paper addresses these issues, advocates explicit discussion of these issues to cultivate students’ ethical reasoning skills, suggests ways to mitigate potential harms, and recommends collection of ethically relevant data regarding pedagogical use of personal genomic information.

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Author and Article Information
-
Published 15 December 2014
- *Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Human Genetics and Center for Bioethics and Health Law, University of Pittsburgh, 519 Barco Law Building, 3900 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15260. Phone: 412-648-7007. Fax: 412-648-2649. E-mail: [email protected].
- ©2014 Author(s). Published by the American Society for Microbiology.