Project Manager –Jeff Prudhomme
What if, through the use of genetic technologies, all children could be born without disabilities? What if they were required to be? Or what if these choices were only open to the wealthy? What if your entire personal genome could be put on a card as small and portable as a credit card? Would you want to know what it said about you? Who else would? How might this information affect the workplace, education, healthcare, insurance, family relations, and other aspects of our society? Questions such as these were at the heart of discussions by a panel of lay-citizens and a panel of multidisciplinary experts that ran roughly from 2003 through 2005.
In response to these and other questions, the panelists developed seven contrasting conceptual policy possibilities. The Discussion Report offers a description of each of these policy possibilities along with some potential consequences that might illustrate their potential real-world implications. The policy possibilities are presented without regard to rank ordering as follows:
I. Policies Focused on an Up or Down Appraisal of Human Genetic Technology (A. Limit human genetic technologies, B. Embrace human genetic technologies;
II. Policies Focused on Distribution and Control Concerns (C. Emphasize Individual Choice with Free-Market Distribution of Genetic Technologies, D. Balance Social and Individual Control, Treating Genetic Technologies as Collective Resources for Individual Choice, E. Exert Collective Control for the Good of the Community with Equitable Distribution of Genetic Technologies;
III. Other Policy Notions (F. Provide Seamless Unified Oversight of All Technology, and G. Let Policy Evolve with Use).
You can download a copy of this report from our “Discussion Reports” page (also listed in the sidebar to the right), which lists all of our published reports, or, to download a copy directly, you can click on the following link: Anticipating Human Genetic Technology (24 pages/476 KB).
Anticipating Human Genetic Technology
Project Manager –Jeff Prudhomme
What if, through the use of genetic technologies, all children could be born without disabilities? What if they were required to be? Or what if these choices were only open to the wealthy? What if your entire personal genome could be put on a card as small and portable as a credit card? Would you want to know what it said about you? Who else would? How might this information affect the workplace, education, healthcare, insurance, family relations, and other aspects of our society? Questions such as these were at the heart of discussions by a panel of lay-citizens and a panel of multidisciplinary experts that ran roughly from 2003 through 2005.
In response to these and other questions, the panelists developed seven contrasting conceptual policy possibilities. The Discussion Report offers a description of each of these policy possibilities along with some potential consequences that might illustrate their potential real-world implications. The policy possibilities are presented without regard to rank ordering as follows:
You can download a copy of this report from our “Discussion Reports” page (also listed in the sidebar to the right), which lists all of our published reports, or, to download a copy directly, you can click on the following link: Anticipating Human Genetic Technology (24 pages/476 KB).