The enrollment is to end in around a week or so, perhaps it can be extended, but still even at 4000 participants, that appears to be a large enough number to create the study. For a little background on the project, I have a prior post here from October of last year.
Affymetrix will scan each participant’s genome and Navigenics™ will interpret the scan results and offer personalized guidance on steps to lessen the chances of negative health impact. This information will be available to participants on Navigenics’ secure Web site. Each participant will be able to enter and store clinical and lifestyle information in an individual Microsoft HealthVault account, allowing the participant to manage his or her personal health information in one location and share it, as desired, with health care providers or others they trust to help make more informed health care decisions.
Cost and fear of employers and insurance companies finding out personal information is cited as one of the concerns, even though security and the information contained is secure, individuals are still worried about potentially jeopardizing insurance claims and coverage information. Also, the present day economy may not be of too much help here as well, and perhaps if participation were free, maybe the numbers might have hit goal by now, still a need for a lot more education out there with personalized medicine and genomics. BD
The bad news: despite the dramatic price reduction, the project has only succeeded in recruiting 4,000 participants - just 40% of the original goal. Recruitment ends in a week, so it's unlikely that the project will be able to fill many of the remaining places before the study commences.
Why the lower-than-expected interest? Eric Topol, the program director, has his own theories:Topol said the cost of enrolling, close to $500, deterred some. Moreover, people are worried about what they ---- or their insurance companies or employers ---- might find out.
"People are afraid of the data, afraid they might have some genes they don't want to know about," Topol said.
Genetic Future : Enrollment in Navigenics-Scripps study disappointing
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