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M. J. Friedrich

JAMA. 2002;288:815-819.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Rochester, NY—More than a dozen middle-aged Burlington Northern and Sante Fe railroad workers filing disability claims related to carpal tunnel syndrome were subjected to genetic tests without their knowledge or consent. Testing was done to screen for a genetic marker linked to carpal tunnel syndrome. While no specific gene for this disorder has been discovered, the tests were searching for any gene that might hint at an extremely rare disease that may include manifestations of carpal tunnel syndrome. The company surreptitiously performed the tests to avoid paying disability claims for any worker carrying the obscure gene. The workers sued and the case was settled earlier this year.

As a result of the settlement, however, the issues regarding whether the company was doing something illegal were not resolved, said Joanne Hustead, JD, assistant research professor, Georgetown University, Washington, who spoke at the Inaugural Symposium on Genetic Privacy . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT