Public policy

Researchers led by Robert Green at Brigham and Women’s Hospital looked at whether consumers getting direct-to-consumer genetic testing were using PGx tests to change treatment decisions. Although this study relied on self-reported data from participants, it suggests that less than 1 percent could have made unsupervised medication changes based on their genetic test results.

Rita Steyn, who has a family history of cancer, decided to order a home genetic testing kit to look for certain genetic mutations that might increase her risk for the disease. While this is something many people are doing, consulting a physician is still recommended in order to understand the real risks, and what the … Continued

Police were able to identify and arrest the Golden State Killer using GEDmatch, an open source genetic database. where individuals can upload and share their information for free, making it accessible for law enforcement in cases like these.

Physicians are becoming more concerned about direct-to-consumer testing providing confidential information to patients about their health.

With advances in prenatal screenings in the Bay Area, studies have shown that more women are deciding to end Down syndrome pregnancies.

In November 2013, the FDA publicly ordered 23andMe to cease sales. A few years later, 23andMe rebranded to offer only some health reports along with ancestry and genealogy reports, without the serious health indicators it initially had in mind. The company is working its way back to providing medical information.

With the passing of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, the federal government has barred health insurance companies from denying coverage for those who have a genetic mutation. However, it does not cross over into private insurance companies, which can ask about genetic history and information.