Market Potential for Genetic Testing Large But Mixed

A new survey conducted by a California-based DNA screening company suggests that there is an audience among consumers for genetic testing, but they are uncertain about the services that are available and are sometimes fickle about using them.

That's the conclusion of the survey conducted by Counsyl, which used the services of an independent research company to sample responses from 1,020 adults nationwide. The data could be used by laboratories in the genetic testing arena to better craft and market future tests.

The survey concluded that 78 percent of those surveyed were aware that DNA can tell them if they could pass on genetic diseases to their children. Another 70 percent wanted to find out if they could pass on a genetic disease.

However, only 28 percent of those surveyed believed they should undergo genetic testing prior to starting a family, and 16 percent said only if they had learned of a history of genetic disorders in their family. Those findings concerned Counsyl officials, who noted that many genetic disorders are passed down through childbirth and often by parents who had no idea they were at risk for doing so. "This speaks to a lack of awareness regarding when such tests should be used," said Shivani Nazareth, Counsyl's director of women's health. But patients may lack such information, because 54 percent said they had never discussed genetic testing with their doctors.

There were also gaps in desires for testing that broke along ethnic lines. Among whites, 68 percent said they wanted to know if they had a genetic disease or were at risk of passing such a disease along to their children. But 72 percent of African-Americans and 71 percent of Latinos said they wanted such information. And among college graduates or those who attended college, 73 percent said they wanted such information, compared to 66 percent of those who had a high school degree or less.

Regarding specific reasons to obtain such data, 48 percent of all respondents said it would give them peace of mind, 20 percent said they had some family history of a specific disease, and 18 percent said they wanted the testing because they had heard it was more readily available. Only 6 percent said it was because their doctor recommended they undergo testing.

Among the groups that did not want to find out what information is contained in their DNA, 16 percent of whites said it would cost too much, while 27 percent of African-Americans thought it was too pricey. Only 9 percent of Latinos said cost was a reason for not being interested in such testing.

Whites were also significantly more likely to not be interested in finding out the results of such tests because they had heard they were often inaccurate compared to other ethnic groups, although such doubts go down dramatically in households that have higher incomes. But there was also a geographic split: 12 percent of those who lived in the South said they had heard such testing was often inaccurate, compared to 2 percent in the Midwest and 9 percent in the Northeast.

One avenue where there was little interest in DNA testing was to gain insights into one's lifespan. Only 28 percent of respondents said they were interested in testing for such a reason, although it went up slightly among groups with higher household incomes.

"The information needs to be actionable, empowers the patient to do something, and reduce their risks and improve their outcomes," Nazareth said, adding that gauging one's life span does not fit in that category.

Takeaway: The market potential for DNA-based genetic testing is significant, but can vary widely.