The link between providers and patients: how laboratories can ensure quality results with genetic testing.

Advances in genetic testing technology can provide important opportunities for health improvement. Simultaneously, they entail complexity in laboratory analysis and interpretation. The nature of genetic testing may engender implications distinct from other diagnostic tests. In this article, we summarize these implications, including the role of informed consent; quality assurance in diagnostic testing services; interpretation of the test results; patient support; appropriate disclosure; and regulations relevant for laboratories involved with genetic tests. Research and clinical laboratories need to stay abreast of these advancing technologies and their implications for health-care patients and providers. Collaboration between testing personnel, geneticists, and other health-care providers is necessary to ensure that patients receive the full benefits from testing, including a clear understanding of their genetic test information.