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The following is a summary of “Disparities in Genetic Testing for Neurologic Disorders,” published in the March 2024 issue of Neurology by Baldwin, et al.
Despite the rising popularity of genetic testing for neurological conditions, there is a lack of research on any inequalities in its availability within the U.S. healthcare system.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study investigating whether access to and results of genetic testing for adults with neurological conditions differ based on race, ethnicity, sex, socioeconomic background, and insurance status.
They examined past data from patients undergoing genetic evaluation and testing via the institution’s neurogenetics program. Differences among demographic groups were assessed across three stages of the genetic evaluation process: attending a neurogenetic evaluation, completing genetic testing, and receiving a diagnostic result. Genetic evaluation patient groups were compared with all neurology outpatients using logistic regression analyses.
The results showed 128,440 patients visiting outpatient neurology clinics, and 2,540 underwent genetic evaluation (2015 to 2022). Black patients exhibited less than half the likelihood of evaluation compared to White patients (OR 0.49, P<0.001), a pattern consistent even after adjusting for other demographic factors in multivariable analysis. Patients in the least affluent quartile of zip codes were also less likely to undergo evaluation (OR 0.67, P<0.001). However, disparities in completing genetic testing or receiving diagnostic results were not evident among those who underwent evaluation, even after age adjustment. Further analyses focusing on specific indications for genetic testing supported these observations.
Investigators concluded that minority patients, particularly Black individuals, underutilized genetic testing in the past, and further investigation is needed.
Source: neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000209161
