Direct-to-consumer genetic testing: the double helix unleashed, problem or panacea?

Direct-to-consumer genetic testing: for some people it is to be discouraged, controlled, and in some jurisdictions even prohibited. For others, direct-to-consumer testing is merely the natural evolution of the human genome project. For them it represents the democratisation of medicine and patient care. This article, in making some brief recommendations that can be quickly implemented, seeks to draw a middle ground. The balance proposed aims not to smother what this writer sees as one of the most significant developments in health care in recent times, but to encourage the introduction of consumer-friendly measures that will allow the research community the time to explore the fundamental question posed by direct-to-consumer testing: does it actually do harm?