As genomic testing permeates more medical disciplines, including even well care, patient preferences for testing are expected to increasingly shape testing choices. Professional practice guidelines, physician practice habits, and patient desires will intersect and together drive testing volumes. As technical hurdles related to performing genetic testing, and even sequencing, have largely been overcome, translational research is shifting to examine how these results affect not just health outcomes, but the practice of routine medicine, including well care, and the psychosocial effect this data has on patients and families. DTET examined some recently published studies to gain insights into emerging data on patient preferences for genetic/sequencing testing. Parents Interested in Sequencing Newborns The majority of new parents support genetic testing of healthy newborns, according to a study published online Dec. 4, 2014 in Genetics in Medicine. While no testing was actually performed—this study simply posed a hypothetical scenario to parents—the researchers say that there is broad support, regardless of demographics. The researchers surveyed 514 parents, following a brief genetics orientation, regarding their interest in receiving genomic sequencing for their healthy newborn within 48 hours of birth (July 2012 to December 2013). Parents were presented with a choice to take part in a […]