BETTER UNDERSTANDING NEEDED
The study of genetic variation is important in unraveling all the causes of health disparities.13 The role of genetics in racial and ethnic health disparities, however, must be reported factually and responsibly. Only with a better understanding of all the determinants of health—including genetic and social determinants such as culture, education, occupation, household income, and access to health care—combined with an understanding of the patient's natural and built environments and how this information interacts with a patient's genome, will we truly have personalized medicine. Clinicians must be engaged in the realization of the benefits of personalized genomic medicine for all patients.
“Will a patient's race have more or less clinical utility in the genome era? As our knowledge grows, race may have less relevance in decisions that are based primarily on biochemical or physiologic processes, which may be better guided by genomic information. However, as long as social inequities and cultural differences exist, race is likely to matter in health care for a very long time.”14 JAAPA
Vence Bonham is Associate Investigator, Social and Behavioral Research Branch, Division of Intramural Research; and Senior Advisor to the Director on Societal Implications of Genomics, Office of the Director, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health. The author has indicated no relationships to disclose relating to the content of this article.
The content is solely the responsibility of the author and does not represent any position or policy of the National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, or Department of Health and Human Services.
Michael A. Rackover, PA-C, MS; Constance Goldgar, MS, PA-C, department editors
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