Public Health & Genetics

An Overview of the Public Health and Genetics Information Series

"The man who has the time, the discrimination, and the sagacity to collect and comprehend the principal facts and the man who must act upon them must draw near to one another and feel that they are engaged in a common enterprise.

We are here not merely to release the faculties of men for their own use, but also to quicken their social understanding."

-Woodrow Wilson

Woodrow Wilson was an outstanding citizen educator and clearly understood the need for partnerships to foster a nation. This tenet is fundamental to the educational collaborations that we must establish in public health genetics.

The purpose of the Public Health and Genetics Information Series is to address public health opportunities and challenges presented by advances in human genetics research. Scientific advances in genetics are creating both exciting opportunities and tremendous challenges for public health.

Our intent with this website is to enable public health professionals to reframe discussions of genetic advances to illustrate how genetic information can be used to prevent disease or minimize the impact of specific diseases. We hope that you will generate dialogue and interest among the medical, public health, and communication sciences communities, as well as with the public.

During the last decade, the evolution of scientific discoveries from the study of genetics has provided information with potential for tremendous influence on health. With the completion of the Human Genome Project in sight and as we learn more about the genetic risks that contribute to common disorders, we will be able to effectively design strategies to identify those with increased risk, preserve the health of those who are asymptomatic, and raise the overall quality of life of our population. In addition, the Institute of Medicine Report on the Future of Public Health (IOM, 1988), outlined that public health agencies will have an increasing role in assessing the health needs of populations, working with the private sector in ensuring the quality of genetic tests and services, and evaluating the impact of interventions on medical, behavioral, and psychosocial outcomes.

Goals

To provide an opportunity for public health professionals and students to increase their knowledge of discoveries in human genetics and enhance their abilities to critically evaluate the implications of these discoveries with regard to public health;
To provide greater understanding of the practical, ethical and social issues that is an integral component of the application of genetics to public health activities.

A recent ASTHO survey included the following comments:

“ The field of human genetics continues to expand at a rapid pace, and makes it difficult to keep ahead or beside all the new information. Ongoing education and training are called for to keep public health professionals with the latest information and recommendations. The ramifications of genetic factors and their relation to specific diseases and public health officials’ roles are undefined.”

“...As more and more genes are identified through the Human Genome Project, the potential for treatment and cures becomes very real. Prevention and education will play an even greater role in public health.”

“The role of genetics in improving the public’s health will be huge precisely because it will be definable and allow much greater precision in defining the environmental factors that interact with specific genotypes to cause a breakdown in health.”

“Our technology exceeds our decision-making capability to know how to use information wisely and safely. Genetics offers great potential for prevention and treatment, but it brings many concerns about confidentiality and ethics.”

“The role of genetics in other public health areas is not well understood outside the newborn screening programs and it is vital to make this link to other areas of public health. As new advances in genetics become available, they must be integrated into public health.”

We hope, you the learner, will benefit from this website and we are responding to the themes raised from the ASTHO survey.Learning Objectives
Individuals who access this website will have a greater understanding of the following concepts:

human diseases result from gene-environment interaction;
gene discovery presents another beginning, as clinical and public health research is needed to identify gene-environment interaction and evaluate the benefits and risks of genetic testing in the population;
genetic information can improve health and prevent disease by targeting medical, behavioral, and environmental interventions to those who are genetically susceptible.

Utilizing these themes, the Public Health and Genetics Information Series, is targeted to students from Schools of Public Health, faculties of these Schools and members of the public health workforce. This Series will focus on a public health applications or issues involving a genetic topic. We want students and health department members to contribute topics via phone, fax, interview or email to the project director. New topics may be incorporated into the Series.

Impact

Public health professionals will increasingly use genetic information to more effectively target behavioral and environmental factors that lead to a great variety of diseases. To assure that these opportunities are not lost, there is a need to communicate with policy makers, health care providers, other health professionals, and the public on the appropriate use of genetic information in disease prevention. Since these audiences are often difficult to reach directly, this Series can then be made available to the larger Internet and public health audiences.

Please contact Elizabeth (Betsy) Gettig, MS, CGC with comments, responses, or requests for additional topics: bgettig@helix.hgen.pitt.edu