Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing in the Personalized Medicine Era

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing is playing an increasing role in medicine as more and more consumers are interested in probing their own genetic information. Direct-to-consumer genetic testing has evolved in content and deliverables since its introduction into the consumer marketplace in 2007. Regulatory body scrutiny, such as that of the US Food and Drug Administration, has influenced the evolution of DTC genetic testing; however, many questions still exist regarding both the clinical and research practices of DTC genetic testing companies. Furthermore, whether consumers truly understand DTC genetic test results and implications, both pretest and posttest, remains to be determined. Studies have additionally demonstrated that many health care providers have limited background and experience to provide expert advice on genetic testing. Newer DTC genetic test offerings are recognizing the importance of consumer genomic data privacy by emphasizing data security and ownership. It is becoming increasingly apparent that in this era of personalized medicine the DTC genetic testing market has abundant growth and global market opportunities.