Genetic testing raises some vexing ethical questions, like whether it will cause unnecessary anxiety or lead to more medical procedures, including abortions.
Now, as the number of tests and the money to be made from them are exploding, another question is being asked by professionals in the field themselves. Is it ethical for genetic counselors, who advise patients on whether to undergo testing, to be paid by the companies that perform the tests?
While it might not always be immediately obvious to patients, some counselors offering them advice in hospitals and doctors’ offices work for the commercial genetic testing companies, not for the hospitals or doctors themselves.
Critics say the arrangement poses a potential conflict of interest, in that the company-employed counselors might have an incentive to recommend more testing than necessary or not to recommend a test offered by a rival laboratory. The practice, they contend, could undermine trust in the profession just as genetic counselors are poised to play a growing role in medicine, helping patients sift through an ever-increasing array of available genetic tests.
