New Delhi, July 29: Genetic testing, a long-established medical practice, could jeopardise patient data, raising concerns about the potential privacy abuse because data is treated like a commodity, claimed a study on Monday.
Genetic testing is generally used to analyse changes in genes to decode the inherited risk of various diseases. A recent commentary in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) highlights these concerns, urging careful consideration of the cost involved.
"Near and long-term expansion in no-cost testing and industry partnership in genetics, with patient data as the commodity, is likely," said Kirsten Bartels, a genetic counsellor at Providence Health Care Heart Centre, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada. Bartels emphasises that the "commodification of patient data is not a standard healthcare practice and should not be adopted without thorough evaluation".
The commentary points out that sponsored genetic testing is available for various conditions such as neuromuscular and eye disorders, and must be prescribed by medical professionals, similar to provincially funded tests, instead of making it a transaction. The researchers said that the inclusion of a broader range of genes in sponsored testing could lead to unintended consequences, including potential harm to patients.
Stringent privacy laws safeguard patient data, but these protections may not be in every country, "raising concerns about patient identification and data security, leaving the patients vulnerable to privacy leaks" and other issues. The study suggests that this is something that the governments should look after.
