Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39018558›Full record

ReviewJournal of medical Internet research2024

Policy Guidance for Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing Services: Framework Development Study.

Suzanne Maria Onstwedder, Marleen Elizabeth Jansen, Martina Cornelia Cornel, Tessel Rigter

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of medical Internet research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Genetic Polymorphisms ofInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Review
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Suzanne Maria OnstwedderDepartment of Public Health Genomics and Screening, Centre for Health Protection, Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-9698-191X
Marleen Elizabeth JansenDepartment of Public Health Genomics and Screening, Centre for Health Protection, Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-7847-683X
Martina Cornelia CornelSection Community Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-5397-5544
Tessel RigterDepartment of Public Health Genomics and Screening, Centre for Health Protection, Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-6038-6289

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe online offer of commercial genetic tests, also called direct-to-consumer genetic tests (DTC-GTs), enables citizens to gain insight into their health and disease risk based on their genetic profiles. DTC-GT offers often consist of a combination of services or aspects, including advertisements, information, DNA analysis, and medical or lifestyle advice. The risks and benefits of DTC-GT services have been debated and studied extensively, but instruments that assess DTC-GT services and aid policy are lacking. This leads to uncertainty among policy makers, law enforcers, and regulators on how to ensure and balance both public safety and autonomy and about the responsibilities these 3 parties have toward the public.

objectiveThis study aimed to develop a framework that outlines aspects of DTC-GTs that lead to policy issues and to help provide policy guidance regarding DTC-GT services.

methodsWe performed 3 steps: (1) an integrative literature review to identify risks and benefits of DTC-GT services for consumers and society in Embase and Medline (January 2014-June 2022), (2) structuring benefits and risks in different steps of the consumer journey, and (3) development of a checklist for policy guidance.

resultsPotential risks and benefits of DTC-GT services were mapped from 134 papers and structured into 6 phases. In summary, these phases were called the consumer journey: (1) exposure, (2) pretest information, (3) DNA analysis, (4) data management, (5) posttest information, and (6) individual and societal impact. The checklist for evaluation of DTC-GT services consisted of 8 themes, covering 38 items that may raise policy issues in DTC-GT services. The themes included the following aspects: general service content, validity and quality assurance, potential data and privacy risks, scientific evidence and robustness, and quality of the provided information.

conclusionsBoth the consumer journey and the checklist break the DTC-GT offer down into key aspects that may impact and compromise individual and public health, safety, and autonomy. This framework helps policy makers, regulators, and law enforcers develop methods to interpret, assess, and act in the DTC-GT service market.

Indexed as

Direct-To-Consumer Screening and TestingGenetic TestingHealth PolicyHumansdirect-to-consumer testinggenetic privacygenetic testinghealth policyinformed consentmHealthmobile healthonline marketpolicy decisionprivacypublic health genomics

Identifiers

PMID39018558
PMCPMC11292153

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.