NIH to create Genetic Testing Registry
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced on March 18 that it is creating a public database that researchers, consumers, health care providers, and others can search for information submitted voluntarily by genetic test providers.
The goal of the Genetic Testing Registry (GTC) is to enhance access to information about the availability, validity, and usefulness of genetic tests.
Currently, more than 1,600 genetic tests are available to patients and consumers, but there is no single public resources that provides detailed information about them.
The NIH said the GTR "is intended to fill that gap."
The overarching goal of the GTR is to advance the public health and research into the genetic basis of health and disease.
As such, the registry will have several key functions, among them:
- Encourage providers of genetic tests to enhance transparency by publicly sharing information about the availability and utility of their tests.
- Provide an information resource for the public, including researchers, health care providers and patients, to locate laboratories that offer particular tests.
- Facilitate genomic data-sharing for research and new scientific discoveries.
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