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Demonstrating trustworthiness when collecting and sharing genomic data: public views across 22 countries

Genome Medicine, vol. 13, pp. 92

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Public trust is central to the collection of genomic and health data and the sustainability of genomic research. To merit trust, those involved in collecting and sharing data need to demonstrate they are trustworthy. However, it is unclear what measures are most likely to demonstrate this. METHODS: We analyse the 'Your DNA, Your Say' online survey of public perspectives on genomic data sharing including responses from 36,268 individuals across 22 low-, middle- and high-income countries, gathered in 15 languages. We examine how participants perceived the relative value of measures to demonstrate the trustworthiness of those using donated DNA and/or medical information. We examine between-country variation and present a consolidated ranking of measures. RESULTS: Providing transparent information about who will benefit from data access was the most important measure to increase trust, endorsed by more than 50% of participants across 20 of 22 countries. It was followed by the option to withdraw data and transparency about who is using data and why. Variation was found for the importance of measures, notably information about sanctions for misuse of data-endorsed by 5% in India but almost 60% in Japan. A clustering analysis suggests alignment between some countries in the assessment of specific measures, such as the UK and Canada, Spain and Mexico and Portugal and Brazil. China and Russia are less closely aligned with other countries in terms of the value of the measures presented. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the importance of transparency about data use and about the goals and potential benefits associated with data sharing, including to whom such benefits accrue. They show that members of the public value knowing what benefits accrue from the use of data. The study highlights the importance of locally sensitive measures to increase trust as genomic data sharing continues globally.

Authors 48

  1. Richard Milne corresponding

    University of Cambridge · Wellcome Connecting Science

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SR, UK. rm23@sanger.ac.uk

    Society and Ethics Research Group, Wellcome Connecting Science, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK. rm23@sanger.ac.uk

    Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SR, UK

    Society and Ethics Research Group, Wellcome Connecting Science, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK

  2. The University of Melbourne · King's College London · RAND Europe

    Affiliation as printed

    Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Global and Population Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 3010, Australia

    Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK

    RAND Europe, Cambridge, CB4 1YG, UK

  3. Wellcome Sanger Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Forensic Science and Criminology, Dubai Police GHQ, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK

  4. Affiliation as printed

    Keynote IAS, New Delhi, 110060, India

  5. Wellcome Connecting Science

    Affiliation as printed

    Society and Ethics Research Group, Wellcome Connecting Science, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK

  6. Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education

    Affiliation as printed

    Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education, Moscow, 119049, Russia

  7. European Bioinformatics Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    EMBL-EBI, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK

  8. Peking University

    Affiliation as printed

    Medical Ethics Program, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China

  9. Wellcome Connecting Science

    Affiliation as printed

    Society and Ethics Research Group, Wellcome Connecting Science, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK

  10. University of Tasmania · Centre for Law and Genetics · Swinburne University of Technology

    Affiliation as printed

    Centre for Law and Genetics, University of Tasmania, Hobart, 7001, Australia

    Department of Psychological Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, 3122, Australia

  11. Uppsala University

    Affiliation as printed

    Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics (CRB), Uppsala University, SE-751 22, Uppsala, Sweden

  12. Ontario Institute for Cancer Research · MaRS

    Affiliation as printed

    Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, MaRS Centre, Toronto, M5G 0A3, Canada

  13. Saaz Genetics (India) · Kamineni Hospitals

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Genetics & Molecular Medicine, Kamineni Hospitals, Hyderabad, 500 068, India

    SAAZ Genetics, Hyderabad, 500033, India

  14. Hirosaki University

    Affiliation as printed

    Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, 036-8560, Japan

  15. Uppsala University

    Affiliation as printed

    Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics (CRB), Uppsala University, SE-751 22, Uppsala, Sweden

  16. Lund University

    Affiliation as printed

    Medical Ethics, Lund Universitet, Sölvegatan, 19, Lund, Sweden

  17. Uppsala University · Karolinska Institutet

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, 171 76, Solna, Sweden

    Department of Public Health and Caring Scienec, Uppsala University, 751 22, Uppsala, Sweden

  18. Research Centre for Medical Genetics

    Affiliation as printed

    Research Centre for Medical Genetics, Moscow, 115522, Russia

  19. Affiliation as printed

    Independent Scholar, Warsaw, Poland

  20. Wuhan University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Health Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China

  21. Hitotsubashi University

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Innovation Research, Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo, 186-8603, Japan

  22. McGill University

    Affiliation as printed

    Centre of Genomics and Policy, McGill University, Montreal, H3A 0G1, Canada

  23. RAND Europe

    Affiliation as printed

    RAND Europe, Cambridge, CB4 1YG, UK

  24. Peking University · The University of Osaka

    Affiliation as printed

    Public Health, Department of Social Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan

    School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China

  25. Uppsala University · Eurac Research · Institute for Biomedicine

    Affiliation as printed

    Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics (CRB), Uppsala University, SE-751 22, Uppsala, Sweden

    EURAC, Institute of Biomedicine, 39100, Bolzano, Italy

  26. Universidade do Porto · i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto · Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular

    Affiliation as printed

    UnIGENe and CGPP - Centre for Predictive and Preventive Genetics, IBMC - Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal

    UnIGENe and CGPP – Centre for Predictive and Preventive Genetics, IBMC – Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, i3S – Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal

  27. Kyoto University · Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University

    Affiliation as printed

    Uehiro Research Division for iPS Cell Ethics, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan

  28. University of Tasmania · Centre for Law and Genetics

    Affiliation as printed

    Centre for Law and Genetics, University of Tasmania, Hobart, 7001, Australia

  29. Uppsala University

    Affiliation as printed

    Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics (CRB), Uppsala University, SE-751 22, Uppsala, Sweden

  30. Queen Mary University of London · Wellcome Connecting Science · Genomics England

    Affiliation as printed

    Genomics England, Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK

    Society and Ethics Research Group, Wellcome Connecting Science, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK

  31. RAND Europe

    Affiliation as printed

    RAND Europe, Cambridge, CB4 1YG, UK

  32. University of Vienna · King's College London

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Global Health & Social Medicine, King's College London, London, WC2R 2LS, UK

    Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, 1010, Vienna, Austria

  33. Université Sorbonne Nouvelle · DILTEC - Didactique des langues, des textes et des cultures

    Affiliation as printed

    DILTEC, Sorbonne Nouvelle, 75005, Paris, France

  34. Wellcome Connecting Science

    Affiliation as printed

    Society and Ethics Research Group, Wellcome Connecting Science, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK

  35. Wellcome Connecting Science

    Affiliation as printed

    Society and Ethics Research Group, Wellcome Connecting Science, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK

  36. Uppsala University · Eurac Research · Institute for Biomedicine

    Affiliation as printed

    Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics (CRB), Uppsala University, SE-751 22, Uppsala, Sweden

    EURAC, Institute of Biomedicine, 39100, Bolzano, Italy

  37. The University of Osaka

    Affiliation as printed

    Public Health, Department of Social Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan

  38. Wellcome Sanger Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK

  39. Uppsala University

    Affiliation as printed

    Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics (CRB), Uppsala University, SE-751 22, Uppsala, Sweden

  40. Wellcome Sanger Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK

  41. National University Hospital of Iceland

    Affiliation as printed

    Landspitali, the National University Hospital of Iceland, 101, Reykjavík, Iceland

  42. Uppsala University

    Affiliation as printed

    Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics (CRB), Uppsala University, SE-751 22, Uppsala, Sweden

  43. McGill University

    Affiliation as printed

    Centre of Genomics and Policy, McGill University, Montreal, H3A 0G1, Canada

  44. RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Sociology, RWTH Aachen University, 52062, Aachen, Germany

  45. Peking University

    Affiliation as printed

    Medical Ethics Program, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China

  46. Indiana University Bloomington · Indiana University

    Affiliation as printed

    Indiana University Maurer School of Law, Bloomington, 47405, USA

  47. OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University

    Affiliation as printed

    Work Research Institute (AFI), Oslo Metropolitan University, 0130, Oslo, Norway

  48. University of Cambridge · Wellcome Connecting Science

    Affiliation as printed

    Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8PQ, UK

    Society and Ethics Research Group, Wellcome Connecting Science, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK

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References 31