Dr. Weiss discusses the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA)
Ronald Weiss, MD, MBA, executive vice president of corporate communication at ARUP Laboratories, discusses the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) in his Salt Lake Tribune editorial, "Lessons from Landmark Legislation on Personalized Medicine," published on May 29, 2008. Dr. Weiss points out that the Human Genome Project has led to valuable insight into the building blocks of human life, which in turn has led to personalized-medicine opportunities that identify individual genetic differences. GINA removes barriers to identifying individuals who are at high risk for certain diseases due to genetic mutations and represents an important victory in making sure genetic information is used appropriately.
- Thus, with personalized medicine, we may better calibrate the dosing to fit the unique nature of the individual patient and reduce harmful outcomes—an effect that, according to one study, could save the U.S. health care system anywhere from $160 million to more than $1 billion annually.
The hype that often surrounds personalized medicine clouds these real-world benefits and confuses legitimate discussion of concerns about some personalized medicine tools—concerns that are only natural in a field of such rapid change.
With appropriate attention and careful considerations to the medical, ethical, legal and social implications, these concerns need not stand in the way of the realization of the promise these discoveries hold. See more
(Salt Lake Tribune. “Lessons from Landmark Legislation on Personalized Medicine.” May 29, 2008.)