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Evans JH, Schairer CE. Scientism, trust, value alignment, views of nature, and U.S. public opinion about gene drive mosquitos. Public Underst Sci 2024:9636625241229196. [PMID: 38469856 DOI: 10.1177/09636625241229196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Gene drive could be a powerful tool for addressing problems of conservation, agriculture, and human health caused by insect and animal pests but is likely to be controversial as it involves the release of genetically modified organisms. This study examined the social determinants of opinion of gene drive. We asked a representative sample of the U.S. public to respond to a description of a hypothetical application of a gene-drive mosquito to the problem of malaria and examined the relationship of these responses with demographic and ideological beliefs. We found strong general approval for the use of gene-drive mosquitos to address malaria, coinciding with the concern about a possible environmental impact of modified mosquitos and that gene drives represent "too much power over nature." Among the determinants we measured, respondent acceptance of scientism and trust that scientists are advancing the public's interest were the greatest predictors of views of gene drive.
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Paredes AM, Guareña LA, Stickel AM, Schairer CE, González HM. To donate, or not to donate, that is the question: Latino insights into brain donation. Alzheimers Dement 2023; 19:1274-1280. [PMID: 36029516 PMCID: PMC9968816 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Latinos are underrepresented in brain autopsy research on Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). The study's purpose is to identify Latinos' attitudes about brain donation (BD) to inform methods by which researchers can increase autopsy consent. METHODS Forty Latinos (mean age: 59.4 years) completed a semi-structured interview and were presented with educational information about BD. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing their understanding of BD and willingness to donate their brain for research. RESULTS Among participants, there was near unanimous support for BD to study ADRD after hearing educational information. However, prior to the information presented, participants reported a lack of knowledge about BD and demonstrated a possibility that misunderstandings about BD may affect participation. DISCUSSION While nearly all study participants agree that donating is beneficial for research and for future generations, the lack of BD information must be addressed to help support positive attitudes and willingness for participation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lesley A. Guareña
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Ariana M. Stickel
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Cynthia E. Schairer
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Hector M. González
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
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Taitingfong RI, Triplett C, Vásquez VN, Rajagopalan RM, Raban R, Roberts A, Terradas G, Baumgartner B, Emerson C, Gould F, Okumu F, Schairer CE, Bossin HC, Buchman L, Campbell KJ, Clark A, Delborne J, Esvelt K, Fisher J, Friedman RM, Gronvall G, Gurfield N, Heitman E, Kofler N, Kuiken T, Kuzma J, Manrique-Saide P, Marshall JM, Montague M, Morrison AC, Opesen CC, Phelan R, Piaggio A, Quemada H, Rudenko L, Sawadogo N, Smith R, Tuten H, Ullah A, Vorsino A, Windbichler N, Akbari OS, Long K, Lavery JV, Evans SW, Tountas K, Bloss CS. Exploring the value of a global gene drive project registry. Nat Biotechnol 2023; 41:9-13. [PMID: 36522496 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01591-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Riley I Taitingfong
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Cynthia Triplett
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Empathy and Technology, Institute for Empathy and Compassion, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Váleri N Vásquez
- Energy and Resources Group, Rausser College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, College of Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Ramya M Rajagopalan
- Center for Empathy and Technology, Institute for Empathy and Compassion, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Robyn Raban
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Aaron Roberts
- Institute on Ethics and Policy for Innovation, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gerard Terradas
- Department of Entomology, the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | | | - Claudia Emerson
- Institute on Ethics and Policy for Innovation, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Fred Gould
- Genetic Engineering and Society Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Fredros Okumu
- Environmental Health and Ecological Science Department, Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara, Tanzania
| | - Cynthia E Schairer
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Hervé C Bossin
- Medical Entomology Laboratory, William A. Robinson Polynesian Research Center, Institut Louis Malardé, Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia
| | - Leah Buchman
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | | | - Anna Clark
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, Aotearoa New Zealand
| | - Jason Delborne
- Genetic Engineering and Society Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Kevin Esvelt
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Joshua Fisher
- Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | | | - Gigi Gronvall
- Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nikos Gurfield
- Vector Control Program, Department of Environmental Health and Quality, County of San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Heitman
- Program in Ethics in Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Natalie Kofler
- Scientific Citizenship Initiative, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Todd Kuiken
- Genetic Engineering and Society Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Jennifer Kuzma
- Genetic Engineering and Society Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
- School of Public and International Affairs, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Pablo Manrique-Saide
- Laboratorio para el Control Biológico de Aedes aegypti, Unidad Colaborativa de Bioensayos Entomológicos, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, México
| | - John M Marshall
- Divisions of Biostatistics & Epidemiology, School of Public Health, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Amy C Morrison
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Chris C Opesen
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, School of Social Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Antoinette Piaggio
- Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, United States Department of Agriculture National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Hector Quemada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, USA
| | - Larisa Rudenko
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- BioPolicy Solutions, LLC, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Robert Smith
- Science, Technology & Innovation Studies, School of Social & Political Science, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Holly Tuten
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Anika Ullah
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Adam Vorsino
- Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | | | - Omar S Akbari
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kanya Long
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - James V Lavery
- Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Center for Ethics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Sam Weiss Evans
- Program on Science, Technology & Society, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Karen Tountas
- GeneConvene Global Collaborative, Science Division, Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, North Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Cinnamon S Bloss
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Center for Empathy and Technology, Institute for Empathy and Compassion, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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Schairer CE, Triplett C, Akbari OS, Bloss CS. California Residents’ Perceptions of Gene Drive Systems to Control Mosquito-Borne Disease. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:848707. [PMID: 35360388 PMCID: PMC8960626 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.848707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Scientists developing gene drive mosquitoes for vector control must understand how residents of affected areas regard both the problem of mosquito-borne disease and the potential solutions offered by gene drive. This study represents an experiment in public engagement at an early stage of technology development, intended to inform lab scientists about public attitudes toward their research and inspire consideration and conversation about the social ramifications of creating mosquitoes with gene drive. Online focus groups with California residents explored views on mosquito-borne disease risk, current mosquito control methods, and the proposed development and use of different classes of gene drives to control Ae. aegypti. Rather than a dogmatic rejection of genetic engineering or gene drive, many participants expressed pragmatic concerns with cost, control, the ability to narrowly target specific species, and the challenges of mistrust and institutional cooperation. Work like this can inform the alignment of community priorities and the professional priorities of scientists and vector control specialists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia E. Schairer
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Cynthia Triplett
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Center for Empathy and Technology, Insitute for Empathy and Compassion, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Omar S. Akbari
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, Division of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Cinnamon S. Bloss
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Center for Empathy and Technology, Insitute for Empathy and Compassion, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Cinnamon S. Bloss,
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Schairer CE, Tutjer J, Cannavino C, Mobley WC, Eyler L, Bloss CS. Learning to Practice Compassionate Care: Medical Students Discuss Their Most Memorable Lessons. J Patient Exp 2022; 9:23743735221117383. [PMID: 35957650 PMCID: PMC9358344 DOI: 10.1177/23743735221117383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Compassion in interactions between physicians and patients can have a therapeutic
effect independent of the technical medical treatment provided. However,
training physicians to effectively communicate compassion is challenging. This
study explores how medical students experienced training focused on interacting
with patients by examining students’ reports of particularly memorable lessons.
Six focus groups were conducted with medical students (total n = 48) in their
fourth year of training. We report on responses from students to the question,
“What was the most memorable lesson you have learned about interacting with
patients?” Students discussed lessons aimed at patient-centered physical
navigation, interpersonal navigation, and perspective taking. Concerns were
raised that navigation techniques felt inauthentic and that perspective taking
was too time consuming to be sustainable in actual practice. While
perspective-taking exercises should motivate medical students to treat every
patient with dignity by demonstrating the complexity of others’ lives, if
students assume that full understanding is a prerequisite to delivery of
compassionate care, they may dismiss explicit techniques of patient-centered
care as inauthentic and perceive compassion and efficiency as mutually
exclusive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia E. Schairer
- T. Denny Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jenna Tutjer
- T. Denny Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Christopher Cannavino
- T. Denny Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - William C. Mobley
- T. Denny Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Lisa Eyler
- T. Denny Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Cinnamon S. Bloss
- T. Denny Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Abstract
In response to growing concerns regarding mosquito-borne diseases, scientists are developing novel systems of vector control. Early examples include Oxitec's OX513A genetically-engineered mosquito and MosquitoMate's Wolbachia-infected mosquito, and systems using 'gene-drive' are in development. Systems based on genetic engineering are controversial and institutions around the world are grappling with the question of who should have a say in how such technologies are field-tested and used. Based on media coverage and public records, we created comparative timelines of the efforts of Oxitec and MosquitoMate to navigate federal and local governance and bring their products to market in the United States. We analyze these timelines with particular attention to the role of public input in technology governance. These cases illustrate how governance of technology in the US is diverse, complex, and opaque. Further, the public response to proposed field trials of the Oxitec product highlights inconsistencies between public expectations for governance and actual practice. As gene-drive mosquito control products develop, both federal and local agencies will find their legitimacy tested without a better procedure for transparently integrating public input.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia E. Schairer
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - James Najera
- Department of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Anthony A. James
- Departments of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics and Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Omar S. Akbari
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Tata Institute for Genetics and Society, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Cinnamon S. Bloss
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Schairer CE, Cheung C, Kseniya Rubanovich C, Cho M, Cranor LF, Bloss CS. Disposition toward privacy and information disclosure in the context of emerging health technologies. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2020; 26:610-619. [PMID: 30938756 PMCID: PMC6562158 DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocz010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective We sought to present a model of privacy disposition and its development based on qualitative research on privacy considerations in the context of emerging health technologies. Materials and Methods We spoke to 108 participants across 44 interviews and 9 focus groups to understand the range of ways in which individuals value (or do not value) control over their health information. Transcripts of interviews and focus groups were systematically coded and analyzed in ATLAS.ti for privacy considerations expressed by respondents. Results Three key findings from the qualitative data suggest a model of privacy disposition. First, participants described privacy related behavior as both contextual and habitual. Second, there are motivations for and deterrents to sharing personal information that do not fit into the analytical categories of risks and benefits. Third, philosophies of privacy, often described as attitudes toward privacy, should be classified as a subtype of motivation or deterrent. Discussion This qualitative analysis suggests a simple but potentially powerful conceptual model of privacy disposition, or what makes a person more or less private. Components of privacy disposition are identifiable and measurable through self-report and therefore amenable to operationalization and further quantitative inquiry. Conclusions We propose this model as the basis for a psychometric instrument that can be used to identify types of privacy dispositions, with potential applications in research, clinical practice, system design, and policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia E Schairer
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Cynthia Cheung
- Center for Wireless and Population Health Systems, California Institute for Telecommunications and Technology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Caryn Kseniya Rubanovich
- Clinical Psychology Joint Doctoral Program, San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Mildred Cho
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Biomedical Ethics, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Lorrie Faith Cranor
- Institute for Software Research, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.,Engineering & Public Policy Department, College of Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Cinnamon S Bloss
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.,Center for Wireless and Population Health Systems, California Institute for Telecommunications and Technology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.,Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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Schairer CE, Triplett C, Buchman A, Akbari OS, Bloss CS. Interdisciplinary development of a standardized introduction to gene drives for lay audiences. BMC Med Res Methodol 2020; 20:273. [PMID: 33153449 PMCID: PMC7643426 DOI: 10.1186/s12874-020-01146-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While there is wide consensus that the public should be consulted about emerging technology early in development, it is difficult to elicit public opinion about innovations unfamiliar to lay audiences. We sought public input on a program of research on genetic engineering to control mosquito vectors of disease that is led by scientists at the University of California and funded by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). In preparation for this effort, we developed a series of narrated slideshows to prompt responses to the development of gene drive mosquito control strategies among lay people. We describe the development and content of these slideshows and evaluate their ability to elicit discussions among focus group participants. METHODS In developing these materials, we used an iterative process involving input from experts in molecular genetics and vector control. Topics were chosen for their relevance to the goals of the scientists leading the program of research. Significant time was devoted to crafting explanations that would be accessible to uninitiated members of the public but still represent the science accurately. Through qualitative analysis of focus group discussions prompted by the slideshows, we evaluated the success of these slideshows in imparting clear technical information sufficient to inform lay discussion. RESULTS The collaboration resulted in a series of four narrated slideshows that were used to anchor discussions in online focus groups. Many participants described the slideshows as interesting and informative, while also raising concerns and possible risks that were not directly addressed in the material presented. Open-ended comments from participants suggest that the slideshows inspired critical questions, reflection, and conversation about genetically engineered and gene drive mosquitoes. After the final and most technically complex slideshow, however, some respondents made comments suggestive of overwhelm or confusion. CONCLUSION Our narrated slideshows prompted engaged conversations about genetically engineered mosquitoes among members of the public who were generally naïve to this technology. Narrated slideshows may serve as viable and useful tools for future public engagement on other controversial emerging medical and public health technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia E Schairer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0811, La Jolla, California, 92093-0811, USA
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Cynthia Triplett
- Center for Wireless and Population Health Systems, The Qualcomm Institute of Calit2, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Anna Buchman
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, Division of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Omar S Akbari
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, Division of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Tata Institute for Genetics and Society, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Cinnamon S Bloss
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0811, La Jolla, California, 92093-0811, USA.
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Center for Wireless and Population Health Systems, The Qualcomm Institute of Calit2, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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Cheung C, Gamez S, Carballar-Lejarazú R, Ferman V, Vásquez VN, Terradas G, Ishikawa J, Schairer CE, Bier E, Marshall JM, James AA, Akbari OS, Bloss CS. Translating gene drive science to promote linguistic diversity in community and stakeholder engagement. Glob Public Health 2020; 15:1551-1565. [PMID: 32589115 DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2020.1779328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Information about genetic engineering (GE) for vector control in the United States is disseminated primarily in English, though non-English speakers are equally, and in some geographic regions even more affected by such technologies. Non-English-speaking publics should have equal access to such information, which is especially critical when the technology in question may impact whole communities. We convened an interdisciplinary workgroup to translate previously developed narrated slideshows on gene drive mosquitoes from English into Spanish, reviewing each iteration for scientific accuracy and accessibility to laypeople. Using the finalised stimuli, we conducted five online, chat-based focus groups with Spanish-speaking adults from California. Overall, participants expressed interest in the topic and were able to summarise the information presented in their own words. Importantly, participants asked for clarification and expressed scepticism about the information presented, indicating critical engagement with the material. Through collaboration with Spanish-speaking scientists engaged in the development of GE methods of vector control, we translated highly technical scientific information into Spanish that successfully engaged Spanish-speaking participants in conversations about this topic. In this manuscript, we document the feasibility of consulting Spanish-speaking publics about a complex emerging technology by drawing on the linguistic diversity of the scientific teams developing the technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Cheung
- The Qualcomm Institute, Calit2, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Stephanie Gamez
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Victor Ferman
- Division of Biostatistics & Epidemiology, School of Public Health, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Váleri N Vásquez
- Division of Biostatistics & Epidemiology, School of Public Health, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Innovative Genomics Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Energy and Resources Group, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Berkeley Institute for Data Science, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Gerard Terradas
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Tata Institute for Genetics and Society, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Judy Ishikawa
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Cynthia E Schairer
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ethan Bier
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Tata Institute for Genetics and Society, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - John M Marshall
- Division of Biostatistics & Epidemiology, School of Public Health, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Innovative Genomics Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Anthony A James
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Omar S Akbari
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Tata Institute for Genetics and Society, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Cinnamon S Bloss
- The Qualcomm Institute, Calit2, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Schairer CE, Taitingfong R, Akbari OS, Bloss CS. A typology of community and stakeholder engagement based on documented examples in the field of novel vector control. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007863. [PMID: 31765377 PMCID: PMC6901234 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Despite broad consensus on the importance of community and stakeholder engagement (CSE) for guiding the development, regulation, field testing, and deployment of emerging vector control technologies (such as genetically engineered insects), the types of activities pursued have varied widely, as have the outcomes. We looked to previous CSE efforts for clarity about appropriate methods and goals. Our analysis yielded a typology of CSE, and related vocabulary, that describes distinctions that funders, organizers, and scholars should make when proposing or evaluating CSE. Methods We compiled available formal documentation of CSE projects, starting with projects mentioned in interviews with 17 key informants. Major features of these examples, including the initiators, target groups, timing, goals, and methods were identified using qualitative coding. Based on these examples, subcategories were developed for a subset of features and applied to the identified cases of CSE in the documents. Co-occurrence of subcategorized features was examined for patterns. Results We identified 14 documented examples CSE projects, which were comprised of 28 distinct CSE activities. We found no clear patterns with respect to timing. However, we found that grouping examples according to whether initiators or targets could enact the immediate desired outcome could help to clarify relationships between goals, methods, and targets. Conclusion Based on this analysis, we propose a typology that distinguishes three categories of CSE: engagement to inquire –where initiators are empowered to act on information collected through engagement with target groups; engagement to influence –where initiators engage to affect the actions of already-empowered target groups; and engagement to involve –where initiators engage to delegate authority to target groups. The proposed typology can serve as a guide for establishing the goals, identifying appropriate methods, and evaluating and reporting CSE projects by directing attention to important questions to be asked well before determining who to engage and how. Mosquito borne diseases, such as malaria and dengue, are major causes of illness and death worldwide. Furthermore, it is getting harder to control mosquitoes and other disease-carrying pests because global climate change is facilitating their spread to new areas, and over time, mosquitoes develop resistance to pesticides. Scientists are therefore developing new methods for controlling mosquito vectors using new gene editing tools. However, releasing genetically engineered insects into the environment is controversial. Many experts recommend that communities and stakeholders be consulted about if or how to use these new methods, but there are few guidelines for the best way to do this. We examined published accounts of community and stakeholder engagement pertaining to novel vector control and looked for patterns across these cases. We found that many efforts were not described in published sources, but those that were could be grouped into three categories: engagement to inquire, engagement to influence, and engagement to involve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia E. Schairer
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Riley Taitingfong
- Department of Communication, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Omar S. Akbari
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
- Tata Institute for Genetics and Society, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Cinnamon S. Bloss
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
- Center for Wireless and Population Health Systems, Calit2, University of California, San Diego La Jolla, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Schairer CE, Mehta SR, Vinterbo SA, Hoenigl M, Kalichman M, Little SJ. Trust and Expectations of Researchers and Public Health Departments for the Use of HIV Molecular Epidemiology. AJOB Empir Bioeth 2019; 10:201-213. [PMID: 31050604 DOI: 10.1080/23294515.2019.1601648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Background: Molecular epidemiology (ME) is a technique used to study the dynamics of pathogen transmission through a population. When used to study HIV infections, ME generates powerful information about how HIV is transmitted, including epidemiologic patterns of linkage and, potentially, transmission direction. Thus, ME raises challenging questions about the most responsible way to protect individual privacy while acquiring and using these data to advance public health and inform HIV intervention strategies. Here, we report on stakeholders' expectations for how researchers and public health agencies might use HIV ME. Methods: We conducted in-depth semistructured interviews with 40 key stakeholders to find out how these individuals respond to the proposed risks and benefits of HIV ME. Transcripts were coded and analyzed using Atlas.ti. Expectations were assessed through analysis of responses to hypothetical scenarios designed to help interviewees think through the implications of this emerging technique in the contexts of research and public health. Results: Our analysis reveals a wide range of imagined responsibilities, capabilities, and trustworthiness of researchers and public health agencies. Specifically, many respondents expect researchers and public health agencies to use HIV ME carefully and maintain transparency about how data will be used. Informed consent was discussed as an important opportunity for notification of privacy risks. Furthermore, some respondents wished that public health agencies were held to the same form of oversight and accountability represented by informed consent in research. Conclusions: To prevent HIV ME from becoming a barrier to testing or a source of public mistrust, the sense of vulnerability expressed by some respondents must be addressed. In research, informed consent is an obvious opportunity for this. Without giving specimen donors a similar opportunity to opt out, public health agencies may find it difficult to adopt HIV ME without deterring testing and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia E Schairer
- a Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California , USA
| | - Sanjay R Mehta
- b Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California , USA.,c Department of Medicine, San Diego Veterans Affairs Medical Center , San Diego , California , USA.,d Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California , USA
| | - Staal A Vinterbo
- e Department of Information Security and Communication Technology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology , Gjøvik , Norway
| | - Martin Hoenigl
- b Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California , USA
| | - Michael Kalichman
- d Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California , USA.,f Research Ethics Program, University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California , USA
| | - Susan J Little
- b Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California , USA
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Schairer CE, Rubanovich CK, Bloss CS. How Could Commercial Terms of Use and Privacy Policies Undermine Informed Consent in the Age of Mobile Health? AMA J Ethics 2018; 20:E864-E872. [PMID: 30242818 DOI: 10.1001/amajethics.2018.864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Granular personal data generated by mobile health (mHealth) technologies coupled with the complexity of mHealth systems creates risks to privacy that are difficult to foresee, understand, and communicate, especially for purposes of informed consent. Moreover, commercial terms of use, to which users are almost always required to agree, depart significantly from standards of informed consent. As data use scandals increasingly surface in the news, the field of mHealth must advocate for user-centered privacy and informed consent practices that motivate patients' and research participants' trust. We review the challenges and relevance of informed consent and discuss opportunities for creating new standards for user-centered informed consent processes in the age of mHealth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia E Schairer
- A postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine in La Jolla, and a sociologist and qualitative researcher with an interest in the ethics of cutting edge technology in medicine and public health
| | - Caryn Kseniya Rubanovich
- A doctoral student in the San Diego State University-University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology
| | - Cinnamon S Bloss
- An associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health in the Division of Health Policy at the University of California, San Diego in La Jolla
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Bloss CS, Stoler J, Schairer CE, Rosenthal SB, Cheung C, Rus HM, Block JL, Yang JA“J, Morton D, Bixenman H, Wellis D. Characteristics Of Likely Precision Medicine Initiative Participants Drawn From A Large Blood Donor Population. Health Aff (Millwood) 2018; 37:786-792. [DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2017.1591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cinnamon S. Bloss
- Cinnamon S. Bloss is an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego (UCSD), in La Jolla
| | - Justin Stoler
- Justin Stoler is an assistant professor at the University of Miami School of Medicine, in Coral Gables, Florida
| | - Cynthia E. Schairer
- Cynthia E. Schairer is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychiatry, UCSD
| | - Sara B. Rosenthal
- Sara B. Rosenthal is a senior bioinformatics scientist in the Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, UCSD
| | - Cynthia Cheung
- Cynthia Cheung is a research associate at the Qualcomm Institute (QI), UCSD
| | - Holly M. Rus
- Holly M. Rus is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychiatry, UCSD
| | | | | | - Doug Morton
- Doug Morton is the chief operating officer and chief information officer of the San Diego Blood Bank, in California
| | - Helen Bixenman
- Helen Bixenman is the vice president for quality and regulatory affairs at the San Diego Blood Bank
| | - David Wellis
- David Wellis is the CEO of the San Diego Blood Bank
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