X-Message-Number: 5953
From:  (David Stodolsky)
Subject: Re: DNA storage
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 96 14:18:30 +0100

Danish hospitals routinely store samples of blood and tissue taken from 
patients for future reference. They are encased in paraffin, put in plastic 
containers, and stored in liquid nitrogen. The encasement makes the retrieval 
of thin slices semi-automatic. The samples are used for research and 
there are plans for "fine tuning" of treatment for patients. An example of the 

second application is the selection of chemotherapy agents for cancer treatment.

The samples are considered "public" property and persons have nothing
to say about how they are used. Individual privacy
has not been considered important until recently. The State's
"Ethics Advisory Board" is now reviewing the system. At the moment,
samples and medical records are stored under a "Person Number",
which permits unambiguous identification. Access is not limited, given
that there is a reasonable need for materials or information. This
low degree of protection would likely not be tolerated accept in the
case of a universal public health-care system. Private medical
insurers could, for instance, exploit the information in selecting
low risk customers.

A couple of years back there was an academic review of the use of medical data,
and the committee specifically rejected an initiative taken in Norway
to protect personal data by using pseudonyms. That initiative seems
to have failed, because researchers felt it would be an impediment
to their work. On the other hand, there is evidence that individual
doctors in Denmark are refusing to enter patient data in record
systems, or destroying it once treatment is completed, in order to
protect patient privacy.

dss


David S. Stodolsky      PGP KeyID: B830DF31       
   Tel.: +45 38 33 03 30   Fax: +45 38 33 88 80 (C)


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