The National Institutes of Health has announced that it will establish a voluntary genetic test registry and encourage genetic test providers to share information about the availability and utility of their tests.

Genetic tests are available now for more than 1,600 conditions, and can form the basis for decisions about disease treatment and prevention, and whether or not to have children. An increasing number of tests are available directly to the consumer.

The Genetic Test Registry is expected to be available in 2011. For more information the NIH website.

Source: The Genetics and Public Policy Center at Johns Hopkins University