The unlocking of the human genome has triggered a rush of in-depth researches pertaining to the human biological system and its accompanying illnesses. Man has finally been given the scientific tools with which to pre-determine his disposition to various illnesses or the extent of his current diseases. Such a screening process has come to be known as genetic testing. As such, the tests, which were once only a figment of man’s hyper active imagination, has become the reality of the 21st century. Nowadays, we can easily find out what illnesses we are either pre disposed to or already dealing with in order to organize our lives accordingly with regards to our acceptance and potential handling of the illness. Genetic testing is something that scientists have meant to use to better the lives of human beings and help us deal with potential worst case scenarios in terms of illnesses. On the other hand, genetic screening is the result of the genetic testing. The screening process is what tells the patient what disease markers he carries within himself and how soon he may need to deal with the harsh realities of their predisposition to certain medical conditions. It is not however, meant to limit the capabilities or abilities of a person in terms of how he should live his life.
Genetic testing and screening, although full of promise in terms of finding cures for hereditary or genetic illnesses, has proven to be a highly sensitive topic in terms of ethics and morality. There is a growing concern over how such testing and screening methods could be abused by certain business and insurance owners in terms of protecting their vested interests. For businessmen, it is their interest in keeping their profit margin intact while for the insurance companies, it is the company interest in paying out lesser insurance claims to people who might have a predisposition to certain illnesses.
Ethically speaking, such types of testing could be used to discriminate against particular employees because of the type of work they do. For example, a person who works in a key encoder position in a data entry firm may find himself being ordered by the company to submit to a mandatory testing and screening for hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies and then misconstrue the results for those to test positive for the illness has having a hereditary predisposition for carpal tunnel syndrome and refuse to insure the worker or refuse to pay any employee compensation claims for those who claim to have acquired the illness on the job. Thus, such types of tests will leave employees open to work discrimination practices and inability to acquire insurance coverage.
Morally speaking, such tests will create a great divide among people who will then be judged by his physical capabilities or genetic predispositions. With the ability of man at present to operate on fetuses in order to repair genetic deformities and illnesses, it is only a matter of time before the genetic modification techniques in the movie Gattaca become a reality for the future generations. It is this type of abuse of genetic screening that must be prevented through close supervision of genetic testing and screening, as well as, implementing various laws that will effectively regulate the uses of the testing and screening methods so as not to disenfranchise any person regardless of abilities or disabilities.
In the case of 64 year old Joe Miller, I recognize and understand that the patient has the right to die with dignity and that that includes dying on his own terms. But, I also have to acknowledge that his family may balk at the decision and prevent its enactment. However, through proper counseling and grief support programs, I know that his family will come to accept his decision. Therefore I agree with all the steps his attending physician undertook, which was, having the family’s wishes and the patient’s wishes meet halfway. Due to the time it will take to complete the counseling sessions of the family, they will come to see and accept that everything medically possible has been done to care for and revive the patient and that death is the inevitable result, thus, making it easier for them to accept the end of life decision of the patient and family member.