Recommendations for return of secondary genomic findings in observational cohort studies.

Updated guidelines for returning secondary genomic findings in observational cohort studies emphasize ethical, equitable, and scalable practices.

• Why it matters: Effective return of genomic results is crucial for ethical research and participant benefit, especially as new result types like polygenic scores and somatic mosaicism emerge, highlighting gaps in current practices.
• What they did: A 2024 workshop and literature review synthesized guidance on ethical frameworks, novel result types, health equity, community engagement, and technology-assisted disclosure, building on prior recommendations from 2010 and 2014.
• The result: The recommendations aim to balance researcher duties with participant autonomy and equitable access, supporting scalable, ethically sound return practices in large-scale genomic research.