Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39592829›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of human genetics : EJHG2025

Assessing the unmet needs of genomic testing in Australia: a geospatial exploration.

Sarah Casauria, Felicity Collins, Susan M White, Paul Konings, Mathew Wallis, Nicholas Pachter, Julie McGaughran, Christopher Barnett, Stephanie Best

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of human genetics : EJHG, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing 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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Mainstreaming genomic testing for mitochondrial disease in Australia.European journal of human genetics : EJHG · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. What's new in April's EJHG?European journal of human genetics : EJHG · 2025
    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

9 authors.

Sarah CasauriaAustralian Genomics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-1442-6374
Felicity CollinsClinical Genetics Service, Institute of Precision Medicine and Bioinformatics, RPAH, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Susan M WhiteAustralian Genomics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-7611-634X
Paul KoningsNational Centre for Geographic Resources & Analysis in Primary Health Care, The National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-4617-3153
Mathew WallisTasmanian Clinical Genetics Service, Tasmanian Health Service, Hobart, TAS, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-5441-1732
Nicholas PachterGenetic Services of Western Australia, King Edward Memorial Hospital, Perth, WA, Australia.
Julie McGaughranGenetic Health Queensland, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-0926-7858
Christopher BarnettPaediatric and Reproductive Genetics Unit, South Australian Clinical Genetics Service, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Stephanie BestAustralian Genomics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. stephanie.best@unimelb.edu.au.ORCID 0000-0002-1107-8976

Funding

Department of Health | National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) GNT1113531Department of Health | National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) GNT2000001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The role of genomic testing in rare disease clinical management is growing. However, geographical and socioeconomic factors contribute to inequitable uptake of testing. Geographical investigations of genomic testing across Australia have not been undertaken. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the geospatial distribution of genomic testing nationally between remoteness areas, and areas of varying socioeconomic advantage and disadvantage. We requested patient postcodes, age, and test type from genomic testing records from seven Australian laboratories for a 6-month period between August 2019 and June 2022. Postcode data were aggregated to Local Government Areas (LGAs) and visualised geospatially. Data were further aggregated to Remoteness Areas and Socio-Economic Index for Areas (SEIFA) quintiles for exploratory analysis. 11,706 records were eligible for analysis. Most tests recorded were paediatric (n = 8358, 71.4%). Microarray was the most common test captured (n = 8186, 69.9%). The median number of tests per LGA was 5.4 (IQR 1.0-21.0). Fifty-seven (10.4%) LGAs had zero tests recorded. Remoteness level was negatively correlated with number of tests across LGAs (rho = -0.781, p < 0.001). However, remote areas recorded the highest rate of testing per 100,000 populations. SEIFA score positively correlated with number of tests across LGAs (rho = 0.386, p < 0.001). The third SEIFA quintile showed the highest rate of testing per 100,000 populations. Our study establishes a foundation for ongoing assessment of genomic testing accessibility and equity and highlights the need to improve access to genomic testing for patients who are disadvantaged geographically or socioeconomically. Future research should include additional laboratories to achieve a larger representation of genomic testing rates nationally.

Indexed as

Genetic TestingGenomicsAustraliaChildFemaleHumansMaleSocioeconomic Factors

Identifiers

PMID39592829
PMCPMC11986069

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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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.