The Critical Challenge of Educating the Public About Genetics

Abstract

The translation of genomics into medicine would benefit from a public that has a strong foundation in core genetics principles and that is able to access, identify, and use reliable information. Unfortunately, public under-standing of genetics is generally poor, a condition that can be traced to deficiencies in formal science education, weaknesses in representations of genetics in the media and on the Internet, and the limited knowledge and involve-ment of health care providers in patient education. Not-withstanding these challenges, the Internet, media, and health professionals likely will remain major sources of public education. Whether those sources contribute posi-tively or negatively will depend, in part, on the public's ability to discriminate high-quality from low-quality information and on health providers' understanding of genetics and their willingness to engage in the genetics education of their patients.