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Ethics: To Do Whats Right
A simple question, do we save the poor girl's life? A simple question with a complex answer. At the cost of the of what?
Bioinfomatics opens a pathway to self-diagnosis which can be a valuable tool and a harmful weapon. It could theoretically increase the accuracy of diagnosis but it could also result in misdiagnosis or mental instability due to
a "risk" of having a disease. Some
examples are factitious
disorder (believing one is ill and
acting that way) or hypochodriasis (overly concerned over ones health) ...
Social Issues
"Imagine trying to live your life, dying...slowly"
Conversly, we can point to the fast, possibly more accurate symptom descriptions. As no one knows your symptoms better than yourself, diagnosis can be more accurate and no longer requires a doctor visit. One can simply look up his or her symptoms and find treatments for it more quickly and effectively given they applied some logic behind it. (Don't believe everything you read, kids).
But...
Political Issues
At its core, bioinformatics is the documentation of any form of biological material. It is a violation of rights, as some say, and could be used as a source of prejudice. However, several laws have been enacted to prevent the occurance of such discrimination and rights. The Genetic Bill of Rights garenteeds the right to be free from genetic discrimination and the right to their own genetic code. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 bans the use of genetic information in the workforce while the AHIMA (American Health Information Mangement Assocaiation Code Ethics) "Advocate, uphold, and defend the individual's right to privacy and the doctrine of confidentiality in the use and disclosure of information."
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