Definition
Commercially available services that provide genetic testing, where consumers can access testing without needing to see a healthcare professional.
Use in clinical context
Direct-to-consumer genetic testing can offer services such as ancestry and health related genetic testing. Anecdotal and empirical evidence suggest that consumers may not completely realise the full implications of the results they may receive from these tests.
The laboratories providing testing for these companies are not usually under the same regulations as those providing testing for recognised health services, and the amount of post-test support for consumers varies. This may mean that consumers access health services for information and advice about their results. For more information, see the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and the British Society for Genetic Medicine (BSGM) joint position statement on direct-to-consumer genomic testing.
