Acknowledgement: This course is supported by educational grants from Celera and the Applera Charitable Foundation.

This course presents three brief patient scenarios that highlight ethical challenges presented by advances in genetic testing. While specific topics include an introduction to the Genetics Information and Nondiscrimination Act, direct-to-consumer genetic testing, and the presymptomatic testing of minors, broader themes such as respect for autonomy, the boundaries between law and ethics, and informed consent also are emphasized. How the provider might address concerns with a patient, what professional guidelines and resources are available, and a review of current literature is incorporated throughout the module.

NUMBER OF CREDIT HOURS: The Harvard Medical School designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This course should take approximately 1 hours to complete.

COST: $20.00 for the average learner. Participants living in emerging nations receive a 50% discount or can register for free. See our International Pricing Page for details.

OVERALL LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1. Explain the legal protections afforded to patients by the Genetic Information and Nondiscrimination Act of 2008.
2. Describe the limitations of the Genetic Information and Nondiscrimination Act of 2008.
3. Counsel patients about the pros and cons of direct to consumer genetic testing.
4. Recognize that the correct interpretation of genetic tests depends on the methods used by the lab as well as the particular characteristics of the patient.
5. Determine when it is or is not appropriate to offer genetic testing to children.

METHOD OF PARTICIPATION:

Registrants participate in the learning process by answering interactive multiple choice questions that are dispersed throughout the case presentation. You must answer a question correctly in order to continue through the course. If you answer a question incorrectly, you will be prompted to try again.

In order to earn credit, physicians must complete the entire educational activity before the termination date (see above). Non-physicians may register for the course but are not eligible for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Instead, non-physicians will earn a certificate of participation after successfully completing the course before its termination date.

COMBINATION OF MEDIA USED:

This internet enduring material is a case-based, interactive presentation comprised mainly of text, interactive questions, and images. A variety of media, including video clips, audio clips, and Flash animation, may be presented. Links to any necessary plugins are provided when necessary, but no plugins are required for general use of the CME website, and you may skip the multimedia presentation(s) within the course if you choose.

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MATT FICKIE, MD Course Director

Dr. Fickie is a medical geneticist at Baystate Medical Center and an Asst. Professor of Pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine. His previous training includes a medical genetics fellowship at the Harvard Medical School Genetics Training Program in Boston, MA. Previous post-graduate training included combined residency in internal medicine and pediatrics. Dr. Fickie is a graduate of the University of Missouri- Kansas City School of Medicine. He also received a Master’s degree in Healthcare Ethics and Law from the University of Manchester in Manchester, England. His research focuses on ethical issues in genetic testing and the disclosure of large amounts of genetic information. DISCLOSURE: Disclosure information not received.

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THOMAS COCHRANE, MD Reviewer

Dr. Cochrane received his MD and MBA degrees from Tufts University School of Medicine in 2000. He completed an internship in internal medicine in 2001, and was a resident in neurology at Massachussetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital from 2001-2004. From 2004-2005 he completed a fellowship in neuromuscular disease at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, as well as the Fellowship in Medical Ethics at Harvard Medical School. From 2005-2006, he was the Edmond J. Safra Faculty Fellow in Ethics at the Safra Foundation Center for Ethics at Harvard University. He is currently a specialist in neuromuscular disease and electrodiagnostic medicine, and medical ethics. DISCLOSURE: Reported no relevant financial relationships with commercial entities.

ROBERT GREEN, MD Reviewer

Robert C. Green, MD, MPH is Professor of Neurology, Genetics and Epidemiology at Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health. He is also Director of the BU Center for Translational Genomics and Health Outcomes. He graduated from Amherst College and the University of Virginia School of Medicine before fulfilling a residency in neurology at Harvard Medical School's Longwood Neurology Program. Following this, he completed research fellowships at the Beth Israel Hospital and Children's Hospital in Boston, winning both the William B. Lennox Research Fellowship and the Wilder Penfield Research Fellowship. Dr. Green obtained additional training in Epidemiology, receiving a Masters in Public Health from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. He is currently a Fellow in Medical Genetics at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Green is exploring healthcare questions in the emerging field of translational genomics and health outcomes. He is a national leader in conducting rigorous clinical trials to evaluate how patients, providers and the healthcare system deal with predictive and personalized genetic information. DISCLOSURE: Reported no relevant financial relationships with commercial entities.

DAVID J. HARRIS, MD Reviewer

Dr. David J. Harris is a lecturer on pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and an attending physician in the division of genetics at Children's Hospital Boston. DISCLOSURE: Reported no relevant financial relationships with commercial entities.

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SANJIV CHOPRA, MD Planner

Dr. Sanjiv Chopra is Professor of Medicine and Faculty Dean for Continuing Medical Education at Harvard Medical School and Senior Consultant in Hepatology at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston. In his role as Faculty Dean for Continuing Education, Dr. Chopra provides oversight and leadership of the Department and oversees the academic development of our programs. Dr. Chopra is an experienced clinician, researcher, and educator. In his research roles, he has served both as a principal investigator as well as co-investigator. He has more than 120 publications and five books to his credit, addressing topics in disease states, patient care, and leadership. Dr. Chopra’s teaching experience is extensive, and he has won numerous teaching awards for his work with medical students, residents and physicians. Currently, he directs and speaks at 10 multiday CME courses, nine of which are through HMS. For his full bio, please click here. DISCLOSURE: Reported no relevant financial relationships with commercial entities.

ERIN HARVEY, MSC, CGC Planner

Erin K. Harvey, MSc, CGC, was the Assistant Director of Education for Partners Healthcare Center for Personalized Genetic Medicine (PCPGM) from 2008 to 2011. She is a board-certified genetic counselor and has worked with a wide range of primary healthcare professionals in the development of genetics-related, case-based continuing medical education (CME). In addition to being the series editor for PCPGM’s genetics CMEs, she coordinated an advanced human genetics course for Harvard Medical School’s Clinical Genetics Residency training program. In 2011, she accepted a position with Genzyme as a Scientific Communications Principal for the Personalized Genetic Health division. Prior to joining PCPGM, Ms. Harvey spent five years with the National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics, and was seconded for one year to the United Kingdom to help a similar organization there – the National Genetics Education and Development Centre – create genetics resources for the UK’s nationalized medical education curriculum. Ms. Harvey received her master’s degree in science in 2003 from the Johns Hopkins University/National Institutes of Health joint genetic counseling training program. She received a B.A. in English Writing from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas in 1993, and worked as a journalist prior to pursuing a career in the biological sciences. DISCLOSURE: Reported no relevant financial relationships with commercial entities.

ANDI LONG, EDM Planner

Andi Long directs the Department of Continuing Education’s Distance Learning group, which offers a variety of online continuing medical education programs to health care professionals around the world. Andi develops strategies for new pilot programs and systematically rolls out new distance learning initiatives and has a leadership role in IT planning and other online processes for HMS DCE. She oversees the day-to-day operations of each distance learning activity and ensures ACCME compliance across all enduring programs. She has had the privilege of working with hundreds of Harvard Medical School Faculty members to develop high-quality, engaging online programs that physicians in more than 170 countries have taken part in. Andi earned her Ed.M. in Technology, Innovation, and Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education and graduated from Bridgewater State College, summa cum laude, with a degree in English. Her professional interests focus on teaching and learning with new technologies and online course development. DISCLOSURE: Reported no relevant financial relationships with commercial entities.

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NUMBER OF CREDITS: 1 

The Harvard Medical School is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Harvard Medical School designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This course should take approximately 1 hours to complete.

Within 2 weeks of completing the course, you will receive your certificate via email.

Click the image to view a sample of the certificate

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