Genetic Screening

1
Genetic Screening

• Employers Should Screen New Hires
• Presentation by
• Team Gattica

2
What is Genetic Screening?

• In general, genetic screening/testing involves
  screening of persons genotypes to determine if
  they
• Are already associated with disease or are
  predisposed to disease.
• May pass on disease to their descendants.
• Produce other variations not associated with
  disease.
• Used as a means to prevent the onset or provide
  control for genetically inherited diseases.

3
Genetic Screening for Employer Purposes

• Susceptibility Screening
• Identifies workers who may be susceptible to
  toxic substances that are found in their
  workplace and may cause future disabilities.
• Identifies workers who may be susceptible to
  workplace hazards which can endanger public
  and/or other employees.
• It allows health insurers to provide better
  health care coverage through early detection and
  prevention.

4
Employers Already Do To Some Extent

• Drug tests
• Skills test
• Personality tests
• Background checks
• Physical Medical Examinations

5
Genetic Testing and Screening IS Good for
Business!

• How?
• Improves the workforce by finding the right
  person for the job.
• Creates a safer workplace environment.
• Selective hiring practices bring value to the
  company.
• Reduces the costs it takes to run a business.
• These improvements also benefit the employees and
  society.

6
Benefits to Individuals and Society

• Each Year, 390,000 workers are diagnosed with
  occupational diseases and 100,000 die as a result
  of this
• Genetic Screening and Testing alerts workers to
  avoid environments that are detrimental to their
  health.
• Employees and their families are spared the
  physical, emotional, and financial costs of
  becoming disabled or the tragedy of death.

7
More Benefits

• Genetic testing benefits society by reducing
  health care costs.
• Individuals have a basic right not to be harmed.
• Screening for genetic traits gives the individual
  the freedom to make an informed decision
  concerning their own welfare.

8
Cost

• The cost of testing is minimal compared to the
  cost of employee turnover.
• An employee that is paid 7.00/ hour costs the
  company 4000-6000 in turnover costs.
• By 2010, scientists predict that an effective
  test will only cost 100.

9
Genetic Discrimination

• The fear of genetic discrimination is unfounded.
• According to Professors Mark Hall and Stephen
  Rich, in a paper in the American Journal of Human
  Genetics, there is not one well-documented case
  of health insurers using genetic test results to
  deny health coverage.
• There has been no case of genetic discrimination
  by employers in U.S. federal or state court.

10
Genetic Discrimination Continued

• Current anti-discrimination laws in most states.
• Discourage employers from using information in an
  unfavorable manner.
• These laws have reinforced the socially
  acceptable terms of genetic testing.

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Questions?
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Conclusion

• Allow genetic testing in the workplace but use
  legislation to establish guidelines to protect
  individual rights.
• If genetic testing is banned completely
• It will hinder health insurers from providing an
  employee complete care.
• An employee may be placed in a hazardous
  environment.
• Employers may be forced to lower salaries and
  cutback on benefits to compensate for higher
  health care costs.

13
References

• Andre, Claire and Manuel Velasquez. Genetic
  Screening in the Workplace. V.4, N. 2 Fall 1991.
  http//www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/iie/v4n2/g
  enes.html
• Committee on the Judiciary House of
  Representatives. Serial No. 100. September 12,
  2002.
• Hall, Mark A. Discrimination in Insurance
  Experience in the USA. Wake Forest University,
  Winston-Salem, NC. 2003.
• Hall, Mark A. and Stephen S. Rich. Laws
  Restricting Health Insurers Use of Genetic
  Information Impact on Genetic Discrimination.
  Department of Public Health Science, Wake Forest
  University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem,
  NC. 2000.
• Human Genome News. U.S Department of Energy
  Office of Biological and Environmental Research.
  Vol. 12 Nos. 1-2, February 2002.
  http//www.ornl.gov/hgmis/project/about.html
• Johnson, Walter E. and Dan M. Trateensek.
  Employee Turnover. June 2001.
  http//www.affinitybenefits.com/nrha/employeeturno
  ver.html

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References Continued

• Olson, Jeff. Genetic Screening. 1998.
  http//www.ndsu.nodak.edu/instruct/mcclean/plsc43
  1/student9 8/olson.htm.
• Oltmans, Shannon. Genetic Screening Will Not Put
  Limits on Equal Opportunity. September 23,
  2004. http//www.ndsu.nodak.edu/instruct/mcclean
  /plsc431/students /oltmans.htm.
• Toland, Amanda Ewart. Cost of Genetic Testing.
  2001.
• http//www.genetichealth.com/GT_genetic_testing_
  cost_of_ge netic_testing.html.
• USA Today. Gene Map creates New Frontier for
  Discrimination. February 12, 2001.
  http//www.usatoday.com/news/health/2001-02-11-ge
  nome- discrimination.htm.