According
 to focus groups we conducted [link to reference], patients and research
 participants do not want their clinicians to receive genomic results 
that they will then withhold from the patient or participant. Based on 
this finding, it is better to apply preferences about which genomic 
results patients and participant desire before the results are reported 
to providers. PIGSR is designed to lend structure to patient and 
participant preferences so they can be applied programmatically during 
the process of analyzing raw genomic data.
Since the human genome contains 20,000 
genes, it is practically impossible for a patient to record his or her 
preference for receiving every possible genomic result. However, PIGSR 
is designed so that patterns of preferences can be used to extrapolate 
just 15 questions to a wide range of variants and conditions. Filtering 
of genomic results based on PIGSR responses involves two steps: (1) 
Identifying the pattern of preferences and (2) using this pattern to 
select genes that should be included in the analytic plan.
The six patterns of preferences identified by PIGSR are listed below, along with a definition of each.
Expand a section to see a proposed protocol for translating that pattern into an analytical plan.