Policy & Practice

At-home genetic testing should be discouraged because of the potential for patients to misinterpret the test or get an inaccurate result, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' Committee on Genetics and Committee on Ethics said in a recent policy statement. Genetic testing should be performed only after a consultation with a qualified health care professional and a referral to a genetic counselor or medical geneticist may be necessary in the case of complex testing, according to the policy. “Appropriate pretest and posttest counseling should be provided, including a discussion of the risks, benefits, and limitations of the testing,” ACOG advised.