TY - JOUR
T1 - Dimensions of responsibility in medical genetics
T2 - exploring the complexity of the “duty to recontact”
AU - Doheny, Shane
AU - Clarke, Angus
AU - Carrieri, Daniele
AU - Dheensa, Sandi
AU - Hawkins, Naomi
AU - Lucassen, Anneke
AU - Turnpenny, Peter
AU - Kelly, Susan
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - Discussion of a “duty to recontact” emerged as technological advances left professionals considering getting back in touch with patients they had seen in the past. While there has been much discussion of the duty to recontact as a matter of theory and ethics, there has been rather little empirically based analysis of what this “duty” consists of. Drawing on interviews with 34 professionals working in, or closely with, genetics services, this paper explores what the “duty to recontact” means for healthcare professionals involved in genetics. Using a discourse analytic framework, the paper identifies three system generated discourses on recontact (governance, legal and responsibilizing discourses) and three lifeworld discourses (situating recontact as a formal duty; more loosely as an obligation; and as a personal sense of responsibility). In summary, the paper shows that the “duty” to recontact involves a complex interplay of system responsibilities with professional duties, responsibilities and obligations.
AB - Discussion of a “duty to recontact” emerged as technological advances left professionals considering getting back in touch with patients they had seen in the past. While there has been much discussion of the duty to recontact as a matter of theory and ethics, there has been rather little empirically based analysis of what this “duty” consists of. Drawing on interviews with 34 professionals working in, or closely with, genetics services, this paper explores what the “duty to recontact” means for healthcare professionals involved in genetics. Using a discourse analytic framework, the paper identifies three system generated discourses on recontact (governance, legal and responsibilizing discourses) and three lifeworld discourses (situating recontact as a formal duty; more loosely as an obligation; and as a personal sense of responsibility). In summary, the paper shows that the “duty” to recontact involves a complex interplay of system responsibilities with professional duties, responsibilities and obligations.
KW - duty to recontact
KW - professional responsibilities
KW - system and lifeworld
KW - discourses of responsibility
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85053346498&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/14636778.2018.1510309
DO - 10.1080/14636778.2018.1510309
M3 - Article (Academic Journal)
AN - SCOPUS:85053346498
SN - 1463-6778
VL - 37
SP - 187
EP - 206
JO - New Genetics and Society
JF - New Genetics and Society
IS - 3
ER -