Current Status and Issues of Genetic Testing in Korea.
10.5124/jkma.2006.49.7.597
- Author:
Young Joon HONG
1
;
Won Ki MIN
Author Information
1. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Korea. clinchem@kcch.re.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Genetic testing;
The Korean Institute of Genetic Testing;
Non-medical commercial laboratories
- MeSH:
Genetic Testing*;
Jurisprudence;
Korea*;
Organization and Administration;
Privacy;
Quality Control
- From:Journal of the Korean Medical Association
2006;49(7):597-602
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Since the effectuation of a new bioethical law, the number of registered genetic testing laboratories in Korea has reached about one hundred and seventy, as of June 2006. For the purpose of supervision and quality control of these laboratories the Korean Institute of Genetic Testing and Evaluation (KIGTE) was founded in October 2005 with the support of the Korean Government. KIGTE will perform its task by establishing a proficiency testing program and on-site inspection program in the near future. At this moment, however, the ambiguous definition of genetic testing, hasty entry of research tests into clinical practice, unpreparedness of some non-medical commercial laboratories for systematic quality assurance programs, and the risk of violating privacy related to genetic testing are major issues to be solved.