How accurate is the imputation service?

Our imputation service provides high accuracy for expanding your genetic data:

Overall Accuracy:

• General accuracy range: 95-99%
• Common variants: 98-99% accurate
• Less common variants: 90-95% accurate
• Rare variants: 85-90% accurate

Factors Affecting Accuracy:

1. Ancestry Background:

2. Reference Populations:

• We use comprehensive reference panels:
• 1000 Genomes Project
• HapMap databases
• Population-specific references
• Latest genetic research data

3. Original File Quality:

• High-quality chips (Illumina GSA): Best accuracy
• Older chips: Slightly lower accuracy
• More SNPs in original file: Better imputation

What Accuracy Means:

• 95% accuracy = 95 out of 100 imputed SNPs are correct
• For 30 million imputed SNPs, 28.5-29.7 million are accurate
• Common variants (found in many people) are most accurate
• Rare variants have more uncertainty

Quality Scores:

• Each imputed SNP includes a quality/confidence score
• High-confidence SNPs can be trusted like genotyped SNPs
• Low-confidence SNPs are flagged for careful interpretation

Scientific Validation:

• Our methods based on peer-reviewed research
• Continuously validated against new data
• Regularly updated with improved algorithms
• Comparable to academic and clinical imputation

Use Cases:

• Ancestry analysis: High accuracy for admixture and ethnicity
• Trait predictions: Reliable for most common traits
• Research: Suitable for population studies
• Exploration: Excellent for genetic discovery

Note: Imputation is a prediction, not direct testing. For critical medical decisions, direct genotyping or sequencing is recommended.