Determining a role for Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) in genomic data governance for cancer care

Abstract

Comprehensive collections of cancer data, including genomic data, are needed to improve cancer risk prediction and treatments. A recent government review, Better, Broader, Safer: Using health data for research and analysis, has argued for high-quality Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) for ethical data use. In this paper we determine a role and justification for PPIE to govern uses of genomic data in fields like cancer. First, we analyse two public attitudes studies about the role of PPIE in genomics governance. Second, we characterise two ethically-significant features of the context of governing genomic data: 1) data aggregation leading to novel group formation, and 2) the hybrid territory of genomic cancer data uses. Thirdly, we bring together these aspects to describe a fully determined role for PPIE within an approach to governing cancer genomic data, which is tailored to major areas of ethical consideration. Our account is a novel interpretation of what PPIE is for in governance, how it may foster public support and how its success in so doing depends on it being tailored to context.