Abstract:
The rising cost of private health insurance and constraints within public health systems are global concerns. Genetic testing presents a transformative opportunity for health care to enhance health outcomes and optimise resource allocation through personalised medicine, early diagnosis, targeted treatments, managed care, and improved drug development. However, ethical and policy issues arise, including privacy, discrimination and equitable access to testing. Balancing these against potential health benefits poses a complex challenge. While some advocate for restricting health insurers from using genetic data, others argue that well-regulated private insurance can ensure affordability, improved health outcomes, and innovative care adoption. This article explores examples of improved health outcomes through genetic testing, identifies areas of risk related to insurers\' use of genetic data, evaluates the adequacy of New Zealand\'s legal framework, and emphasises the need for ethical and equitable policy solutions. The broader issues of data governance, biases in algorithms, and implications of artificial intelligence and machine learning warrant separate exploration.
摘要:
私人健康保险的成本上涨和公共卫生系统内的限制是全球关注的问题。基因检测为医疗保健提供了一个变革性的机会,以增强健康结果并通过个性化医疗优化资源分配,早期诊断,有针对性的治疗,管理式护理,改善药物开发。然而,出现道德和政策问题,包括隐私,歧视和公平获得测试。平衡这些与潜在的健康益处构成了一个复杂的挑战。虽然一些人主张限制健康保险公司使用遗传数据,其他人认为监管良好的私人保险可以确保负担能力,改善健康结果,和创新的护理采用。本文探讨了通过基因检测改善健康结果的例子,确定与保险公司使用遗传数据相关的风险领域,评估新西兰法律框架的充分性,并强调需要道德和公平的政策解决方案。更广泛的数据治理问题,算法中的偏见,人工智能和机器学习的含义需要单独探索。