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Dimensions of responsibility in medical genetics: exploring the complexity of the “duty to recontact”

Dimensions of responsibility in medical genetics: exploring the complexity of the “duty to recontact”
Dimensions of responsibility in medical genetics: exploring the complexity of the “duty to recontact”

Discussion of a “duty to recontact” emerged as technological advances left professionals considering getting back in touch with patients they had seen in the past. While there has been much discussion of the duty to recontact as a matter of theory and ethics, there has been rather little empirically based analysis of what this “duty” consists of. Drawing on interviews with 34 professionals working in, or closely with, genetics services, this paper explores what the “duty to recontact” means for healthcare professionals involved in genetics. Using a discourse analytic framework, the paper identifies three system generated discourses on recontact (governance, legal and responsibilizing discourses) and three lifeworld discourses (situating recontact as a formal duty; more loosely as an obligation; and as a personal sense of responsibility). In summary, the paper shows that the “duty” to recontact involves a complex interplay of system responsibilities with professional duties, responsibilities and obligations.

discourses of responsibility, duty to recontact, professional responsibilities, system and lifeworld
1463-6778
187-206
Doheny, Shane
a7cab2c1-b348-41c5-85d3-322900282f64
Clarke, Angus
30f3d3dd-3caa-4465-82e8-a8c4316dfaa1
Carrieri, Daniele
303907f3-1f8e-40af-afcb-0c4571990566
Dheensa, Sandi
d7d7e2bb-8def-4fad-9e1d-33d8141a0c9c
Hawkins, Naomi
535f2022-c4d0-453b-8fc6-13da4b18dc90
Lucassen, Anneke
2eb85efc-c6e8-4c3f-b963-0290f6c038a5
Turnpenny, Peter
824b7e16-e800-4f2e-88f9-8cc9b97b871d
Kelly, Susan
9df674f4-53a2-4eef-9476-92d25f69bbea
Doheny, Shane
a7cab2c1-b348-41c5-85d3-322900282f64
Clarke, Angus
30f3d3dd-3caa-4465-82e8-a8c4316dfaa1
Carrieri, Daniele
303907f3-1f8e-40af-afcb-0c4571990566
Dheensa, Sandi
d7d7e2bb-8def-4fad-9e1d-33d8141a0c9c
Hawkins, Naomi
535f2022-c4d0-453b-8fc6-13da4b18dc90
Lucassen, Anneke
2eb85efc-c6e8-4c3f-b963-0290f6c038a5
Turnpenny, Peter
824b7e16-e800-4f2e-88f9-8cc9b97b871d
Kelly, Susan
9df674f4-53a2-4eef-9476-92d25f69bbea

Doheny, Shane, Clarke, Angus, Carrieri, Daniele, Dheensa, Sandi, Hawkins, Naomi, Lucassen, Anneke, Turnpenny, Peter and Kelly, Susan (2018) Dimensions of responsibility in medical genetics: exploring the complexity of the “duty to recontact”. New Genetics and Society, 37 (3), 187-206. (doi:10.1080/14636778.2018.1510309).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Discussion of a “duty to recontact” emerged as technological advances left professionals considering getting back in touch with patients they had seen in the past. While there has been much discussion of the duty to recontact as a matter of theory and ethics, there has been rather little empirically based analysis of what this “duty” consists of. Drawing on interviews with 34 professionals working in, or closely with, genetics services, this paper explores what the “duty to recontact” means for healthcare professionals involved in genetics. Using a discourse analytic framework, the paper identifies three system generated discourses on recontact (governance, legal and responsibilizing discourses) and three lifeworld discourses (situating recontact as a formal duty; more loosely as an obligation; and as a personal sense of responsibility). In summary, the paper shows that the “duty” to recontact involves a complex interplay of system responsibilities with professional duties, responsibilities and obligations.

Text
CNGS 1510309 Final 002 - Accepted Manuscript
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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 7 July 2018
e-pub ahead of print date: 6 September 2018
Keywords: discourses of responsibility, duty to recontact, professional responsibilities, system and lifeworld

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 423653
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/423653
ISSN: 1463-6778
PURE UUID: fa1d6f7c-07b3-4e24-be2f-28d039723a2e
ORCID for Anneke Lucassen: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-3324-4338

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 27 Sep 2018 16:30
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 07:07

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Contributors

Author: Shane Doheny
Author: Angus Clarke
Author: Daniele Carrieri
Author: Sandi Dheensa
Author: Naomi Hawkins
Author: Anneke Lucassen ORCID iD
Author: Peter Turnpenny
Author: Susan Kelly

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