Abstract
This chapter addresses the crucial question of how genomics knowledge and technologies can currently be integrated into public health practice. There has been an astonishing rate of technological advance in genomic science over the last decade since the public health genomics movement was first conceived in the 1990s, though the arrival of genomics into health-care practice represents only the beginning of the translational highway. For some, this exponential growth in knowledge promises a future in which health care is focused much more effectively at the level of the individual. In this chapter, we examine the emerging areas where public health and genomics intersect, the criteria for population screening programmes involving genomic knowledge, and the use of genomics for evidence-based approaches to forecast and manage disease prevention and prognosis, as well as health intervention outcomes. We discuss challenges and barriers for implementing evidence-based genomic applications in the public health practice. We provide a three-tiered approach to group public health genomics applications based on their readiness for practice. We conclude that coordinated efforts are essential to guide development in genomic medicine, towards an impact on population health.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Austin MA, Peyser PA, Khoury MJ (2000) The interface of genetics and public health: research and educational challenges. Ann Rev Public Health 21:81–89
Bernstein A, Pulendran B, Rappuoli R (2011) Systems vaccinomics: the road ahead for vaccinology. OMICS 15(9):529–531
Boccia S (2014) Why is personalized medicine relevant to public health? Eur J Public Health 24(3):349-50
Burke W (2002) Genetic testing. N Engl J Med 347:1867–1875
Burton H (2003) Addressing genetics, delivering health. Public Health Genetics Unit, Cambridge
Burke W, Zimmern R (2007) Moving beyond ACCE: an expanded framework for genetic test evaluation. Paper prepared for the UK Genetic Testing Network.
Burke W, Atkins D, Gwinn M et al (2002) Genetic test evaluation: information needs of clinicians, policy makers, and the public. Am J Epidemiol 256:311–318
Burke W, Burton H, Hall AE et al (2010) Extending the reach of public health genomics: what should be the agenda for public health in an era of genome-based and “personalized” medicine? Genet Med 12(12):785–791
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: website. http://www.cdc.gov/genomics/about/reports/2001.htm. Accessed 31 March 2014
Chowdhury S, Dent T, Pashayan N et al (2013) Incorporating genomics into breast and prostate cancer screening: assessing the implications. Genet Med 15(6):423–432
Claassen L, Henneman L, van der Weijden T, Marteau TM, Timmermans DR (2012) Being at risk for cardiovascular disease: perceptions and preventive behavior in people with and without a known genetic predisposition. Psychol Health Med 17:511–521
Davey SG, Ebrahim S, Lewis S, Hansell AL, Palmer LJ, Burton PR (2005) Genetic epidemiology and public health: hope, hype, and future prospects. Lancet 366:1484–1498
Donabedian A (1978) The quality of medical care. Science 200:856–864
Donabedian A (2005) Evaluating the quality of medical care. Milbank Q 83:691–729.
Dove ES, Faraj SA, Kolker E, Ozdemir V (2012) Designing a post-genomics knowledge ecosystem to translate pharmacogenomics into public health action. Genome Med 4(11):91
Evaluation of Genomic Applications in Practice and Prevention (EGAPP): Implementation and Evaluation of a Model Approach: website. http://www.egappreviews.org/default.htm. Accessed 31 March 2014
Evans JP, Berg JS, Olshan AF, Magnuson T, Rimer BK (2013) We screen newborns, don't we?: realizing the promise of public health genomics. Genet Med 15:332–334
GAPP Finder by CDC’s Office of Public Health Genomics: website. http://64.29.163.162:8080/ GAPPKB/topicStartPage.do. Accessed 31 March 2014
Grosse SD, Khoury MJ (2006) What is the clinical utility of genetic testing? Genet Med 8:448–450
Haddow J, Palomaki G (2004) ACCE: a model process for evaluating data on emerging genetic tests. In: Khoury M, Little J, Burke W (Eds) Human genome epidemiology. Oxford University Press, Oxford, p 217–233
Halliday JL, Collins VR, Aitken MA, Richards MP, Olsson CA (2004) Genetics and public health – evolution, or revolution? J Epidemiol Community Health 58:894–899
Holtzman NA and Watson MS (1997) Promoting safe and effective genetic testing in the United States. Final report of the Task Force on Genetic Testing, http://www.genome.gov/10001733. Accessed 31 March 2014
Hotez PJ (2011) New antipoverty drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics: a research agenda for the US President’s Global Health Initiative (GHI). PLoS Negl Trop Dis 5:e1133
Janssens ACJW, Khoury MJ (2006) Predictive value of testing for multiple genetic variants in multifactorial diseases: implications for the discourse on ethical, legal and social issues. Ital J Public Health 4:35–41
Janssens ACJW, van Duijn CW (2008) Genome-based prediction of common diseases: advances and prospects. Hum Mol Genet 17(R2):R166–173
Janssens ACJW, Pardo MC, Steyerberg EW, van Duijn CM (2004) Revisiting the clinical validity of multiplex genetic testing in complex disease. Am J Hum Genet 74:585–588
Khoury MJ, Coates RJ, Evans JP (2010a) Evidence-based classification of recommendations on use of genomic tests in clinical practice: dealing with insufficient evidence. Genet Med 12:680–683
Khoury MJ, Feero WG, Valdez R (2010b) Family history and personal genomics as tools for improving health in an era of evidence-based medicine. Am J Prev Med 39(2):184–188
Khoury MJ, Bowen MS, Burke W et al (2011) Current priorities for public health practice in addressing the role of human genomics in improving population health. Am J Prev 40:486–493
Kroese M, Zimmern RL, Sanderson S (2004) Genetic tests and their evaluation: can we answer the key questions? Genet Med 6:475–480
O'Meara MM, Disis ML (2011) Therapeutic cancer vaccines and translating vaccinomics science to the global health clinic: emerging applications toward proof of concept. OMICS 15(9):579–588
Personalized Medicine 2020: website. http://www.permed2020.eu/index.php. Accessed 31 March 2014
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: http://www.cdc.gov/genomics/gtesting/tier.htm. Accessed date 31st March 2014
Warnich L, Drögemöller BI, Pepper MS, Dandara C, Wright GE (2011) Pharmacogenomic research in South Africa: lessons learned and future opportunities in the rainbow nation. Curr Pharmacogenomics Person Med 9:191–207
Yang Q, Khoury MJ, Botto L, Friedman JM, Flanders WD (2003) Improving the prediction of complex diseases by testing for multiple disease susceptibility genes. Am J Hum Genet 72:636–649
Zimmern RL (2011) Genomics and individuals in public health practice: are we luddites or can we meet the challenge? J Public Health (Oxf) 33(4):477–482
Zimmern RL, Khoury MJ (2012) The impact of genomics on public health practice: the case for change. Public Health Genomics 15:118–124
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Boccia, S., Zimmern, R. (2015). Genomics and Public Health. In: Boccia, S., Villari, P., Ricciardi, W. (eds) A Systematic Review of Key Issues in Public Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-13620-2_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-13620-2_14
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-13619-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-13620-2
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)