Developing stakeholder involvement for introducing public health genomics into public policy

Public health genomics (PHG) relies on developing knowledge from a variety of natural and social science research disciplines to shape public policies, health policy, education and training, and direct outreach to organisations and the population at large. All of these components rely on the involvement of stakeholders who, because of the diverse groups involved, will have a wide range of backgrounds. The significant challenges associated with the engagement of such a diverse range of stakeholders are compounded by the wide knowledge gaps that exist between scientists, the public, and different professional groups. In this paper we discuss some of the areas of public policy that might involve PHG, set out principles on the need for stakeholder involvement, and describe the range of potential stakeholders that need to be considered when working to incorporate PHG into new and existing policies. For specific projects in PHG, however, the question of who to involve and how must be addressed according to the work in question.