Government panel focuses on top priorities for guiding genetic testing policies

Abstract

Ensuring the clinical utility of genetic testing and understanding issues surrounding public access to this technology were among the priorities targeted for more in-depth study by a Department of Health and Human Services advisory committee. The Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health, and Society met July 7–8 in Washington, D.C., to continue working toward a final report on policy needs for the growing field of genetic and genomic testing. Mike Leavitt, secretary of Health and Human Services, said this committee can help develop information needed for policies that strike a balance between meeting consumer needs and imposing regulatory restrictions. “I think it is often the case that consumers are underestimated in terms of their capacity to sort through these things,” he said. “I think there is often a sense of well-intended protection that we want to provide that sometimes can constrain progress. Somebody needs to be pushing the envelope a little, and at the same time you have to have the brake on to keep us on the road.”