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Community engagement in biobanking: Experiences from the eMERGE Network

Genomics, Society and Policy volume 6, Article number: 50 (2010) Cite this article

Abstract

Advances in genomic technologies and the promise of "personalised medicine" have spurred the interest of researchers, healthcare systems, and the general public. However, the success of population-based genetic studies depends on the willingness of large numbers of individuals and diverse communities to grant researchers access to detailed medical and genetic information. Certain features of this kind of research - such as the establishment of biobanks and prospective data collection from participants' electronic medical records - make the potential risks and benefits to participants difficult to specify in advance. Therefore, community input into biobank processes is essential. In this report, we describe community engagement efforts undertaken by six United States biobanks, various outcomes from these engagements, and lessons learned. Our aim is to provide useful insights and potential strategies for the various disciplines that work with communities involved in biobank-based genomic research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA

    Amy A Lemke, Joel T Wu, Carol Waudby, Jill Pulley, Carol P Somkin & Susan Brown Trinidad

  2. Institute of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA

    Amy A Lemke, Joel T Wu, Carol Waudby, Jill Pulley, Carol P Somkin & Susan Brown Trinidad

  3. Center for Human Genetics, Marshfield Clinic; Medical Education and Administration, Vanderbilt University; Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, Oakland, CA, USA

    Amy A Lemke, Joel T Wu, Carol Waudby, Jill Pulley, Carol P Somkin & Susan Brown Trinidad

  4. Department of Bioethics and Humanities, University of Washington, USA

    Amy A Lemke, Joel T Wu, Carol Waudby, Jill Pulley, Carol P Somkin & Susan Brown Trinidad

Authors
  1. Amy A Lemke
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  2. Joel T Wu
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  3. Carol Waudby
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  4. Jill Pulley
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  5. Carol P Somkin
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  6. Susan Brown Trinidad
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Amy A Lemke.

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Open Access This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0 ), which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.

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Lemke, A.A., Wu, J.T., Waudby, C. et al. Community engagement in biobanking: Experiences from the eMERGE Network. Life Sci Soc Policy 6, 50 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-5354-6-3-50

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-5354-6-3-50

Keywords

Life Sciences, Society and Policy

ISSN: 2195-7819

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