An Experimental Examination of Consumer Attitudes, Behavioral Intentions and Information Search Behavior after Viewing a Predictive Genetic Test Direct-to-Consumer Advertisement

Predictive genetic tests (PGT) have greatly increased in number available and overall sales. Thus,

much like their pharmaceutical peers, companies offering PGTs have increasingly used direct-to-consumer advertising as part of their promotional strategy, especially since many PGTs are available without a prescription or physician order. Given the lack of empirical research examining the effects of PGT-DTC, this research sought to examine consumer attitudes, intentions and behavior in response to a PGT-DTC ad with and without a prescription requirement. Overall, consumers hold favorable attitudes to PGT-DTC ads, but did not intend to engage in physician discussion, take the test or perform information search behavior. The effect of a prescription requirement was not significant, as no differences were seen with the attitude and behavioral

intention dependent variables. Thus, at this still relatively young point in the PGT cycle, consumers still seem to be skeptical about the value of predictive genetic tests.