Specialists might be the best choice to interpret genetic testing results, but primary care providers may be positioned to do so when specialists are not available, a new study has found. And that is a finding of enormous importance given the inexorable rise of genomic testing and precision medicine. The Diagnostic Challenge Interpreting the results of genetic testing has become the domain of a specialized group of genetic counselors and clinical geneticists. But because these specialists are so few in number and spread so thin, the concern is that they will be quickly overwhelmed by the sheer volume of genetic data that requires analysis. The problem will become even more intense if and when today’s direct-to-consumer genetic testing, which is largely not covered by health insurers, becomes accepted as a mainstream part of treatment. All of this raises an important question: Are primary care providers ready, willing and able to fill the void? The Study A team of researchers led by Biomedical Informatics Ph.D. Dr. Scott McGrath set out to answer that question by surveying 664 medical professionals, including both genetic specialists and primary care providers, about their feelings on deciphering genetic data for their patients. Did they feel comfortable […]