Counseling About Changes and Consent in Direct-to-consumer Testing

Description

Direct-to-consumer genetic testing continues to evolve rapidly, bringing new opportunities—and new challenges—for informed consent and patient understanding. This talk will explore available options to consumers, how changes in test scope, and result interpretation affect the counseling process, and the expectations consumers bring to testing. We will discuss common consent gaps in the direct-to-consumer space, including issues related to what patients are consenting for, loopholes in consents, and reinterpretation of results over time. The session will also highlight practical strategies genetic counselors can use to support patients who pursue or bring results from direct-to-consumer testing while ensuring that consent remains meaningful and informed.

 

Level of Instruction
Intermediate - Refresher course; some basic knowledge of subject recommended

Learning Objectives

1. Describe the current landscape of direct-to-consumer genetic testing, including the types of tests available to consumers and how expanding test scope can influence patient expectations and understanding.
2. Identify common gaps and challenges in informed consent for direct-to-consumer genetic testing, including limitations in what patients are consenting to, potential loopholes in consent language, and issues related to reinterpretation of results over time.
3. Apply practical strategies for genetic counselors to effectively support patients who pursue or present direct-to-consumer genetic test results while promoting clear communication and meaningful informed consent.

Course summary

Available credit: 
  • 0.10 NSGC CEU
Course opens: 
05/06/2026
Course expires: 
05/06/2028
Cost:
$0.00

Presenter: Scott M. Weissman, MS, CGC

Founder Chicago Genetic Consultants, LLC

Scott M. Weissman graduated from Northwestern University with his MS in Genetic Counseling in 2002 and has practicing in the adult genetics space ever since. In 2016, he opened a private genetic counseling practice called Chicago Genetic Consultants, LLC and has been servicing individuals in the Chicagoland area with a variety of genetic conditions.  Scott is currently a Clinical Faculty member at the Northwestern University Program. He has been an active member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) where he has worked on a variety of committees and held positions as the Secretary/Treasurer, Co-Chair of the Familial Cancer Risk Special Interest Group, and Liaison to both the Commission on Cancer and the National Accreditation Program of Breast Centers, two programs housed in the American College of Surgeons.  In 2012, he was honored with the Strategic Leader Award from the National Society of Genetic Counselors.

 

Moderator: Bekah Krukenberg, MS, CGC

Genomic Science Liaison at Ambry Genetics

Bekah received her M.S. in Genetic Counseling from Indiana University in 2012. She then founded the oncology genetic counseling department at Community Health Network in Indianapolis, where she spent 11 years in clinic working with patients and their families. She worked on the Clinical Genetics team at Tempus AI for a year and a half, and she joined Ambry Genetics in October 2025. Bekah has special interests in hereditary cancer testing, improving genetic counseling workflows using technology and AI, and the integration of digital health tools into the electronic medical record.

Educational Independence and Disclosure Policy

EducateNext is committed to providing independent, objective, and evidence-based educational content. None of the individuals in control of this content—including our planners, reviewers, and approval faculty—have any financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. For all educational sessions, speaker-specific disclosures regarding any potential conflicts of interest are required and will always be shared directly with learners at the beginning of their respective presentations.

Ambry Genetics is approved as a provider for continuing education program by NSGC and ASCLS P.A.C.E ® Programs.

Credit eligibility varies by activity; please see below for the specific credit types offered for this course.

Available Credit

  • 0.10 NSGC CEU

Price

Cost:
$0.00
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Please note: Attendees must track continuing education (CE) credits towards recertification. Credit cannot be claimed for both live and recorded versions of the same webinar; attendance is cross-checked annually. We apologize for the inconvenience and are working toward a single-platform solution to automatically manage dual registration and integrated transcript tracking.