Ethical Use Of Genetic Testing In The Healthcare Industry

In the past genetic tests have only been available to those who went to a healthcare provider. As the healthcare world advances, so is the way testing is being provided and made available to consumers who seek genetic testing. These genetic tests are designed to be performed at home by the individual, which are then sent to a laboratory for testing. This at home genetic test is referred to as direct to consumer genetic testing. The relatively new genetic tests, which have only been available in the last decade or so, are being marketed through media to consumers. This test may be more convenient to consumers, but the test has its issues and flaws. There are issues involved with the test itself as well as issues with uniformed consumer testing. …show more content…
One of the major issues of uninformed testing is the fact that this “genetic testing provides only one piece of information about a person’s health.” (Genetics Home Reference, 2015) Other “genetic and environmental factors, lifestyle choices, and family medical history also affect a person’s risk of developing many disorders” (Genetics Home Reference, 2015) are not accounted for in this test. Other factors such as the ones listed above have a heavy influence in genetic mutations and this test doesn’t account for any of those factors. Without these factor involved interpretation of the results is hard. Even without the external factor considered, the interpretation of the results is difficult. Result of the genetic test are either mailed to the individual or reported over a phone conversation. “Without guidance from a healthcare provider, they [the clients] may make important decisions about treatment or prevention based on inaccurate, incomplete, or misunderstood information about their health.” (Genetics Home Reference, 2015) When uninformed consumer get their results back they may believe that it is a diagnosis rather than a warning to be proactive and