Abbing H D
University of Limburg, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Health Policy. 1991 Aug;18(3):197-206. doi: 10.1016/0168-8510(91)90021-o.
Genetic information is a potential tool for selection of job applicants and of candidates for insurance. Social implications of genetic information may represent a threshold for the access to health care facilities. Some of the issues related to the use of predictive genetic information by private life and health insurance companies are discussed. They include the potential threat for the privacy of the individual and his relatives, the pressure to undergo genetic testing and the social consequences of the use of genetic information by private insurance companies. The justified financial interests of insurance companies and the interests of the individual to have his privacy protected and to be able to partake in social attainments have to be brought into balance. A ban on genetic testing in connection with access to insurances and a limitation to the use of existing genetic information have been suggested by the Dutch Health Council. This approach to the problem should be adopted throughout the European Communities, so that medical progress does not turn out to be against the interests of the consumer.
基因信息是筛选求职者和保险候选人的一种潜在工具。基因信息的社会影响可能成为获取医疗保健设施的一道门槛。本文讨论了一些与个人和健康保险公司使用预测性基因信息相关的问题。这些问题包括对个人及其亲属隐私的潜在威胁、接受基因检测的压力以及私人保险公司使用基因信息的社会后果。保险公司合理的经济利益与个人保护隐私以及能够参与社会福利的利益必须取得平衡。荷兰卫生委员会建议禁止与保险准入相关的基因检测，并限制对现有基因信息的使用。整个欧洲共同体都应采用这种解决问题的方法，以使医学进步不会损害消费者的利益。
