I’ve blogged about “personalized genomics” quite a lot, both here and on the Business Ethics Blog. (See, e.g., Advertising Ethics & Personalized Genomics and Personal Genomics: the Ethics of Shared Uncertainty.) These services have received a lot of media attention lately. And now, attention from a prominent UK think-tank.

From the Times Online: Ethics inquiry to judge challenges of genetic testing

The risks and social challenges posed by genetic tests and other health services sold directly to consumers have prompted Britain’s most influential ethical think-tank to begin an inquiry into personalised medicine.

While DNA screens, personal MRI scans and internet advice services that bypass GPs have the potential to empower patients and encourage people to take greater responsibility for their health, they also have drawbacks, according to the Nuffield Council on Bioethics.

Genetic profiling services, which screen DNA variations for links to disease and other traits, are marketed as a way of identifying health risks that might be reduced by lifestyle changes or medical treatment….

Here’s the consultation webpage: Medical profiling and online medicine: The ethics of ‘personalised’ health care in a consumer age