Rethinking Biospecimen Use: Practices, Precedents, and Future Paths

Fast Summary

• Decentralized biobanking offers an innovative approach to reconnect individuals with their biological specimens.
• This model aims to democratize data ownership, potentially shifting control from central institutions to individuals.

Indian Opinion analysis
Decentralized biobanking represents a transformative concept with possible implications for India’s healthcare sector and research infrastructure. Given India’s large and diverse population, empowering citizens with ownership of their biological data could foster openness, improve participation in medical research, and address ethical concerns related to consent in specimen usage. However, challenges such as digital literacy, regulatory frameworks, and equitable access must be tackled for accomplished implementation across urban and rural settings.

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