This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Home genetic testing kits not basis for healthcare decisions
A leading doctor based at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust has warned against the use of home genetic testing kits and called for more regulation of, and engagement with, the industry.
Professor Anneke Lucassen, a consultant in clinical genetics at University Hospital Southampton, said the NHS was often left to ‘pick up the pieces’ of flawed results as increasing use of direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests is seeing patients promised insights into ancestry or disease risks, while others claim to provide information on personality, athletic ability and child talent.
Known problems include people wrongly informed by home test results that they have faulty genes which suggest a high risk of certain cancers. A false positive result indicates that a person has a high genetic risk of a disease or condition when they actually don't and a false negative result indicates a person has a low genetic risk of a disease or condition when the person actually does have it.
Lucassen has claimed that there should be more focus on raising awareness of the problems associated with consumer testing and providing advice for GPs and other clinicians.
Lucassen said: “Genetic tests sold online and in shops should absolutely not be used to inform health decisions without further scrutiny. Finding a ‘health risk’ via these tests often does not mean a person will go on to develop the health problem in question, while ‘reassuring’ results might be unreliable."
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