Quality genetic services for the population, now and in the future

Abstract

The possibilities for testing and screening for genes involved in inherited diseases or susceptibility to diseases have increased spectacularly. Combined with a revolution in the availability of sophisticated new technologies for testing, the question arises how will we be able to continue to provide quality services to our customers ? Who will provide these ? Will it be the centres, as we know them today, or will DTC take gradually over this service ? Will the quality criteria, as established today before tests are made available, still be applicable and how will these new services be able to contribute to an increasing and coordinated collection of global information on genetic diversity and on the pathogenic changes in the human genome? As stated in the Bioethics Convention of the European Council and explicited in the recent recommendations from the House of Lords of the UK on Genomic Medicine, we will need a major effort of the European Commission/of our governments, to implement a series of measures which will allow the correct and quality assured introduction into practice of the genetic knowledge that is being generated. Only then will all individuals and the scientific community be able to benefit from our services.