The impact of genetic information on policy and clinical practice

This article discusses genetics-related policy issues that have an impact on health care systems, health care providers, and their patients: privacy, mass screening, family screening, and knowledge dissemination. Access, cost, and ethical implications are important discussant points for each of these genetic-related policy issues. Embedded in the issue of privacy are concerns of insurability, confidentiality, and discrimination. The public health policy implications related to mass screening programs include efficacy of the screening tests, availability of primary and secondary interventions, access, costs, and program evaluation. Policy issues for family screening are similar to mass screening, with added concerns about privacy and availability of adequate resources, including health care providers and counselors trained in genetics. Knowledge dissemination is critical to maintaining currency of clinical information and applications of genetic technologies and treatments. As genetic information expands, the need for knowledge dissemination will increase. The importance of advanced practice nurses' involvement in these policy issues is discussed.