GTR: Homepage and Basic Search Functions

This video provides an overview of the home page for the NIH's Genetic Testing Registry
(GTR), and also demonstrates some handy search tips. A separate video specifically addresses
how to quickly find tests in GTR.
Starting on the homepage, I’ll first point out that no matter where you are on the GTR
website, clicking the logo brings you back to this page. Your primary activity on this
page is to search for information. By default, entering a search term here will search all
of GTR, but you can restrict your searches by these categories.
Selecting a tab displays suggested types of search terms for that category, and often
provides a faster path to your results. For those of you interested in pharmacogenetic
terms, try the Conditions/Phenotypes tab. As GTR grows and contains more drug response
data, searching for such terms under Conditions/Phenotypes could save you time.
Here’s another example under Conditions/Phenotypes. I’ll type the word, learning, and, ignoring
the choice provided, I’ll click the Search button. This full search provides a short
differential of conditions containing the term ‘learning’ somewhere in the descriptions.
Notice that, while there are many more than 19 genetic conditions with the word ‘learning’,
GTR shows by default those conditions with available tests.  You can select other features
here, such as OMIM records or GeneReviews, or the full set of 34.
I want to point out that you don't have to search from the hompage. This drop-down menu
and search box have the same search range as the homepage, except for GeneReviews, which
is part of NCBI’s Books database. To demonstrate a GeneReviews search, I’ll go back to the
homepage and search for reviews about the condition, Ehlers-Danlos.
Typing Ehlers retrieves 20 records, today, that have ‘Ehlers’ in the title or text
of the record. You can also search GeneReviews with other terms, such as author names.
And just to be clear about all searches, if I type the term Ehlers, selecting one of the
suggestions would take me directly to that record, however, using the Search button would
retrieve a list of all records that contain the search term.
I’ll now go back and focus on features of the home page. The left side of the page has
information specific to GTR, such as help documentation, background on the GTR, how
to submit tests, and the Code of Conduct.
On the right you’ll find Clinical Resources such as OMIM, several ways to locate a genetics
professional, consumer resources, and a few of NCBI’s molecular resources.
I’ll end with few words about how you can provide feedback to the GTR. We’ve developed
a structured feedback form that you can complete very quickly. Your input will help us to make
the GTR a true community effort. Thank you.