The ONC's David R. Hunt, MD, FACS Updates SACGHS

The charge of the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health, and Society (SACGHS) includes:

• Assessing how genetic technologies are being integrated into health care and public health,
• Studying the clinical, public health, ethical, economic, legal, and societal implications of genetic and genomic technologies and applications,
• Identifying opportunities and gaps in research and data collection analysis efforts,
• Examining the impact of current patent policy and licensing practices on access to genetic technologies,
• Analyzing uses of genetic information in education, employment, insurance, and law,
• Serving as a public forum for discussion of issues raised by genetic and genomic technologies.

The SACGHS held their twenty second meeting June 15-16, 2010.

The main agenda item was an exploratory session on the implications of affordable whole-genome sequencing. The meeting also included updates and discussions on other issues SACGHS has been addressing, including the work of the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children related to the retention and use of dried blood spot specimens from newborn screening. There was also an update from David R. Hunt, MD, FACS the Medical Officer at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT. This was a continuing discussion from his earlier presentation in February.

I will post meeting materials and rough draft transcripts as they are available.

These are the Presentation Materials currently available for the meeting: CDC Guidelines for Good Laboratory Practices in Genetic Testing Bin Chen, PhD, FACMG Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Atlanta, GA Whole-Genome Sequencing-Implications for Clinical Care Charis Eng, MD, PhD, FACP Session Co-Chair Overview of WGS Dietrich A,. Stephan,PhD President and CEO Complete Genomics Implications of Affordable Whole Genome Sequencing: Quality and Management of WGS Data Clifford A. Reid, Ph.D. President and CEO, Complete genomics Preparing and Managing Whole Genome Sequence Data for the Clinical Setting Martin G. Reese,PhD Co-Founder, President and CEO Omicia WGS Data and Clinical Utility W. Gregory Feero, M.D., Ph.D. Faculty, Maine-Dartmouth Family Practice Residency Program, Augusta, ME Special Advisor to the Director for Genomic Medicine NHGRI, NIH Impact of Whole Genome Sequencing on the Practice of Health Care Emily Edelman, MS, CGC National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics Economic Value of Whole Genome Sequencing Steven Teutsch, MD, MPH Chief Science Officer Los Angeles County Dept of Public Health