Making Sense of Intellectual Disability

This remains an active and evolving field. As with other areas of genetics, the ways in which these tests could and should be used is occurring as much in the clinical arena as in research settings. Driven by fast-moving technology and powerful marketing forces, the "we can do it" is often proffered before the "we should do it" has been settled. Internists are generally sophisticated enough to recognize these types of challenges and to consider new testing options in the context of how testing information can benefit the management of individuals.

In settings in which this particular question emerges, internists might consider involving genetic services to help their patient navigate these new genetic and genomic testing options.

Dr. Taylor is associate professor in the department of internal medicine and director of adult clinical genetics at the University of Colorado at Denver. This column, "Genetics in Your Practice," appears regularly in Internal Medicine News, a publication of Elsevier.