Catching a Speeding Train
Social Work’s Disconnect with a Medical Revolution
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10552180 |
|---|---|
| Authors | James Smith (0000-0002-0448-8774, Winona State University, corresponding author), J Sky Smith |
| Year | 2016 |
| Volume | 61 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 186-187 |
| Publication date | 2016-02-04 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Work (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0037-8046 • E-ISSN: 1545-6846 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1093/sw/sww013 |
| PMID | 27180533 |
| OpenAlex | W2261703599 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 4 |
President Obama (2015) announced last year in his State of the Union Address a “federal precision medicine initiative” designed to harness new genomics technologies. Social work education has a lot of ground to make up, and fast, as the pace of discovery in genetics and genomics not only transforms our ability to understand and treat disease, but also, in many cases, challenges deeply held senses of self and identity. In anticipation of the Council on Social Work Education’s 2015 updates, it is time to establish new guidelines that prepare social work practitioners on genomics and the sometimes-intense psychosocial implications of knowing one’s genetic information. The Human Genome Project (HGP) was completed in 2003 at a cost of $3 billion over 13 years (National Human Genome Research Institute, 2010). Today, scientists and physicians can collect and interpret the same amount of genetic information for a few thousand dollars over several days. The train has left the station in terms of incorporating genomic information into clinical care. Many predict that within five to 10 years this will become a routine part of medical care. Some even suggest that in the near future, every newborn baby will have his or her genome fully sequenced and analyzed before birth (Personalized Medicine Coalition [PMC], 2014). This certainly will carry powerful psychological, social, and ethical implications. Social workers need to be front and center during debates that will shape policies around these issues, in addition to serving as integral members of multidisciplinary treatment teams (Taylor-Brown & Johnson, 1998)
Political science · Public relations · Sociology · Work (physics · Applied Psychology · Engineering · Interprofessional Education and Collaboration · Law · Mechanical Engineering · Mental Health and Patient Involvement · Psychology · Social Work Education and Practice · Social Work
| Citations per year | 0.33 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2017 - 2021 (5) |
| Highly cited | No |