Genetic screening for cystic fibrosis: An overview of the science and the economics

The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the current scientific and economic thinking on the use of genetic technologies for cystic fibrosis (CF) screening. The paper takes a public health genetics viewpoint and gives an overview of the genetics behind CF, then describes current practices in screening for the disease. We then discuss the current literature on the economic evaluations of screening for CF. As the “wet” science improves, there are direct implications for health service. Therefore, it is important to keep examining both clinical practice and economics behind the technologies.