[Direct-to-consumer genetic tests in the Netherlands: impact on consumers and clinical practice]

Over the last 75 years, the field of Human Genetics has developed enormously. One of the recent developments involves health-related direct-to-consumer genetic tests (DTC-GTs), through which consumers gain insight in their genetic information and personal health risks without involvement of a health care professional. The DTC-GT market is diverse and dynamic, testing for continuously changing combinations of traits and DNA-variants that can affect personal health and disease. DTC-GTs can have positive and negative consequences for individuals, health care, society, and science. Notably, consumers are presently not optimally empowered for informed decision making regarding health-related DTC-GT usage. It is important to protect them from negative impact, given the present lack of actionable legislation. Insight in which citizens buy these tests, and why they do so, will help to properly inform and empower consumers to make informed decisions both before and after purchasing health-related DTC-GTs. Projects answering these questions are ongoing.