Governance of polygenic embryo screening: a qualitative study on the perspectives of clinicians and patients

To investigate the perspectives of stakeholders on their attitudes toward potential regulation of polygenic embryo screening (PES), a new form of preimplantation genetic testing that is used to screen embryos for the genetic chances of developing medical conditions and nonmedical traits involving hundreds or thousands of genes.

We conducted individual, semistructured interviews and analyzed transcripts using thematic analysis.

Twenty-seven US-based reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialists and 26 patients who were currently undergoing in vitro fertilization or had within the past five years.

Repeating ideas and patterned responses were organized into themes and subthemes.

Although most clinicians advocate for some form of regulation to ensure patient well-being, patients largely oppose restrictive measures, prioritizing procreative autonomy.

Our results highlight a tension between the welfarist approach favored by clinicians and the libertarian approach favored by patients, underscoring the complexity of developing governance frameworks for PES that satisfies multiple stakeholder groups. Ultimately, our findings call attention to the need for ongoing dialogue among stakeholders to address the ethical and practical implications of PES and any potential regulation of it.