Anxiety delivered direct-to-consumer: are we asking the right questions about the impacts of DTC genetic testing?

2016 ◽  
Vol 53 (12) ◽  
pp. 798-799 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serena Oliveri ◽  
Heidi C Howard ◽  
Chiara Renzi ◽  
Mats G Hansson ◽  
Gabriella Pravettoni
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Testing ◽  
Direct To Consumer ◽  
The Right

Direct to consumer genetic testing and the libertarian right to test

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (11) ◽  
pp. 787-789 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Elizabeth Bonython ◽  
Bruce Baer Arnold
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Testing ◽  
Physical Properties ◽  
Prima Facie ◽  
Genetic Privacy ◽  
Physical Body ◽  
Direct To Consumer ◽  
Rights And Interests ◽  
Privacy Violation ◽  
The Right ◽  
Regulatory Intervention

Loi recently proposed a libertarian right to direct to consumer genetic testing (DTCGT)— independent of autonomy or utility—reflecting Cohen’s work on self-ownership and Hohfeld’s model of jural relations. Cohen’s model of libertarianism dealt principally with self-ownership of the physical body. Although Loi adequately accounts for the physical properties of DNA, DNA is also an informational substrate, highly conserved within families. Information about the genome of relatives of the person undergoing testing may be extrapolated without requiring direct engagement with their personal physical copy of the genome, triggering rights and interests of relatives that may differ from the rights and interests of others, that is, individual consumers, testing providers and regulators. Loi argued that regulatory interference with exercise of the right required justification, whereas prima facie exercise of the right did not. Justification of regulatory interference could include ‘conflict with other people’s rights’, ‘aggressive’ use of the genome and ‘harming others’. Harms potentially experienced by relatives as a result of the individual’s exercise of a right to test include breach of genetic privacy, violation of their right to determine when, and if, they undertake genetic testing and discrimination. Such harms may justify regulatory intervention, in the event they are recognised; motives driving ‘aggressive’ use of the genome may also be relevant. Each of the above criteria requires clarification, as potential redundancies and tensions exist between them, with different implications affecting different groups of rights holders.

“Better Not to Know?”: Justifiable Limits on the Right to Information in the Realm of dtc Genetic Testing. An Analysis of the European and Spanish Legal Framework

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan María Martínez Otero
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Genetic Testing ◽  
Healthcare Professional ◽  
Present Article ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Genetic Tests ◽  
Direct To Consumer ◽  
Legal Restrictions ◽  
Right To Information ◽  
The Right

The rapid advance of genetics increases the availability in the market of different genetic tests, which can be acquired directly by consumers without the intermediation of a healthcare professional. Both the European and the Spanish legal framework have restricted the access to these direct-to-consumer (dtc) genetic tests on the grounds of different reasons, such as the protection of consumers or the preservation of public health. The present article discusses these legal restrictions under the light of the right to information.

scholarly journals Behavioural changes, sharing behaviour and psychological responses after receiving direct-to-consumer genetic test results: a systematic review and meta-analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly F. J. Stewart ◽  
Anke Wesselius ◽  
Maartje A. C. Schreurs ◽  
Annemie M. W. J. Schols ◽  
Maurice P. Zeegers
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Genetic Testing ◽  
Behaviour Change ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Search Term ◽  
Psychological Responses ◽  
Direct To Consumer ◽  
Genetic Test Results ◽  
The Right ◽  
Meta Analyses

Abstract It has been hypothesised that direct-to-consumer genetic tests (DTC-GTs) could stimulate health behaviour change. However, genetic testing may also lead to anxiety and distress or unnecessarily burden the health care system. The aim is to review and meta-analyse the effects of DTC-GT on (1) behaviour change, (2) psychological response and (3) medical consumption. A systematic literature search was performed in three databases, using “direct-to-consumer genetic testing” as a key search term. Random effects meta-analyses were performed when at least two comparable outcomes were available. After selection, 19 articles were included involving 11 unique studies. Seven studies involved actual consumers who paid the retail price, whereas four included participants who received free genetic testing as part of a research trial (non-actual consumers). In meta-analysis, 23% had a positive lifestyle change. More specifically, improved dietary and exercise practices were both reported by 12%, whereas 19% quit smoking. Seven percent of participants had subsequent preventive checks. Thirty-three percent shared their results with any health care professional and 50% with family and/or friends. Sub-analyses show that behaviour change was more prevalent among non-actual consumers, whereas sharing was more prevalent among actual consumers. Results on psychological responses showed that anxiety, distress and worry were low or absent and that the effect faded with time. DTC-GT has potential to be effective as a health intervention, but the right audience needs to be addressed with tailored follow-up. Research is needed to identify consumers who do and do not change behaviour or experience adverse psychological responses.

scholarly journals Innovative Commercial and Private Genetic Testing Raises Privacy and Confidentiality Concerns

2018 ◽  
pp. 31-33
Author(s):  
Syeda Masooma Zaidi
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Testing ◽  
Personal Information ◽  
Personal Data ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Sensitive Information ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Direct To Consumer ◽  
Client Data ◽  
The Right ◽  
Privacy And Confidentiality

Obtaining information about your genes can be as easy as swabbing your cheek for DNA testing. Companies that offer direct-to-consumer genetic testing with saliva have the authority to collect and share personal data as well as test results from their clients. However, patients want their personal information to be protected and although these companies ask for consent before sharing information with third-party sources, companies have the right to use client data to initiate research or improve their business. Genetic testing companies need to respect their clients and understand that they are paying for a service which deals with sensitive information that individuals may not want collected and stored.

Experiences of individuals receiving “Not Parent Expected” (NPE) results through direct-to-consumer genetic testing

2021 ◽  
Vol 132 ◽  
pp. S289
Author(s):  
Julia Becker ◽  
Janey Youngblom ◽  
Brianne Kirkpatrick ◽  
Liane Abrams
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Testing ◽  
Direct To Consumer

scholarly journals Clinical Phenotype of PDE6B-Associated Retinitis Pigmentosa

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 2374
Author(s):  
Laura Kuehlewein ◽  
Ditta Zobor ◽  
Katarina Stingl ◽  
Melanie Kempf ◽  
Fadi Nasser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Acuity ◽  
Genetic Testing ◽  
Retinitis Pigmentosa ◽  
Fundus Autofluorescence ◽  
Retinal Disease ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Autofluorescence Imaging ◽  
Full Field ◽  
Tertiary Referral Center ◽  
The Right

In this retrospective, longitudinal, observational cohort study, we investigated the phenotypic and genotypic features of retinitis pigmentosa associated with variants in the PDE6B gene. Patients underwent clinical examination and genetic testing at a single tertiary referral center, including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), kinetic visual field (VF), full-field electroretinography, full-field stimulus threshold, spectral domain optical coherence tomography, and fundus autofluorescence imaging. The genetic testing comprised candidate gene sequencing, inherited retinal disease gene panel sequencing, whole-genome sequencing, and testing for familial variants by Sanger sequencing. Twenty-four patients with mutations in PDE6B from 21 families were included in the study (mean age at the first visit: 32.1 ± 13.5 years). The majority of variants were putative splicing defects (8/23) and missense (7/23) mutations. Seventy-nine percent (38/48) of eyes had no visual acuity impairment at the first visit. Visual acuity impairment was mild in 4% (2/48), moderate in 13% (6/48), and severe in 4% (2/48). BCVA was symmetrical in the right and left eyes. The kinetic VF measurements were highly symmetrical in the right and left eyes, as was the horizontal ellipsoid zone (EZ) width. Regarding the genetic findings, 43% of the PDE6B variants found in our patients were novel. Thus, this study contributed substantially to the PDE6B mutation spectrum. The visual acuity impairment was mild in 83% of eyes, providing a window of opportunity for investigational new drugs. The EZ width was reduced in all patients and was highly symmetric between the eyes, making it a promising outcome measure. We expect these findings to have implications on the design of future PDE6B-related retinitis pigmentosa (RP) clinical trials.

scholarly journals An exploratory assessment of the applicability of direct-to-consumer genetic testing to translational research in Japan

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Masahiro Inoue ◽  
Shota Arichi ◽  
Tsuyoshi Hachiya ◽  
Anna Ohtera ◽  
Seok-Won Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Testing ◽  
Translational Research ◽  
Drug Target ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Healthy Individuals ◽  
Alcohol Sensitivity ◽  
Direct To Consumer ◽  
Disease States ◽  
Multiple Phenotypes ◽  
Related Phenotype

Abstract Objective In order to assess the applicability of a direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing to translational research for obtaining new knowledge on relationships between drug target genes and diseases, we examined possibility of these data by associating SNPs and disease related phenotype information collected from healthy individuals. Results A total of 12,598 saliva samples were collected from the customers of commercial service for SNPs analysis and web survey were conducted to collect phenotype information. The collected dataset revealed similarity to the Japanese data but distinguished differences to other populations of all dataset of the 1000 Genomes Project. After confirmation of a well-known relationship between ALDH2 and alcohol-sensitivity, Phenome-Wide Association Study (PheWAS) was performed to find association between pre-selected drug target genes and all the phenotypes. Association was found between GRIN2B and multiple phenotypes related to depression, which is considered reliable based on previous reports on the biological function of GRIN2B protein and its relationship with depression. These results suggest possibility of using SNPs and phenotype information collected from healthy individuals as a translational research tool for drug discovery to find relationship between a gene and a disease if it is possible to extract individuals in pre-disease states by properly designed questionnaire.

scholarly journals Secondary Data Usage in Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing: To What Extent Are Customers Aware and Concerned?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Janessa Mladucky ◽  
Bonnie Baty ◽  
Jeffrey Botkin ◽  
Rebecca Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Testing ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Customer Data ◽  
Secondary Use ◽  
Data Usage ◽  
Direct To Consumer ◽  
New Information ◽  
Opt Out ◽  
Potential Risks

Introduction: Customer data from direct-to-consumer genetic testing (DTC GT) are often used for secondary purposes beyond providing the customer with test results. Objective: The goals of this study were to determine customer knowledge of secondary uses of data, to understand their perception of risks associated with these uses, and to determine the extent of customer concerns about privacy. Methods: Twenty DTC GT customers were interviewed about their experiences. The semi-structured interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed for common themes. Results: Most participants were aware of some secondary uses of data. All participants felt that data usage for research was acceptable, but acceptability for non-research purposes varied across participants. The majority of participants were aware of the existence of a privacy policy, but few read the majority of the privacy statement. When previously unconsidered uses of data were discussed, some participants expressed concern over privacy protections for their data. Conclusion: When exposed to new information on secondary uses of data, customers express concerns and a desire to improve consent with transparency, more opt-out options, improved readability, and more information on future uses and potential risks from direct-to-consumer companies. Effective ways to improve readership about the secondary use, risk of use, and protection of customer data should be investigated and the findings implemented by DTC companies to protect public trust in these practices.

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