Speaker Details

Mr Alastair Kent

Biography

Alastair Kent is the Director of the Genetic Interest Group (GIG) - the UK alliance of charities and support groups for people affected by genetic disorders. GIG's mission is to promote the development of the scientific understanding of genetics and the part that genetic factors play in health and disease, and to see the speedy transfer of this new knowledge into improved services and support for the treatment of currently incurable conditions. Prior to joining GIG Alastair worked for a number of voluntary organizations on issues concerning policy, service development and disabled people.

Abstract

A Patient Friendly Framework for Introducing Novel Interventions into Clinical Practice

A brief search of the media or the World Wide Web will reveal a vast number of claims for breakthroughs in the prediction, diagnosis and treatment of an ever growing number of genetic diseases. Whilst it is true that scientific understanding of the links between genes, and the links between genes and lifestyle and environment is growing rapidly, premature application of this new knowledge will not reduce the hope for health gain, and will sap public, political and investor confidence in genetics and biomedicine In this session I will describe a framework for planning the clinical applications of novel opportunities to intervene in chronic life limiting diseases that reflects patient and family needs, is culturally relevant and which maximises the opportunity for sustainable service development, and health gain.