Re: Blood-Test Labs Bypass Doctors, Spurring Debate

[Guest guest]

This is very interesting, a. While I don't advocate self-diagnosis

or self-medication for serious conditions, as the article illustrates,

there are times when a patient should be able to order certain tests

directly without a doctor's permission.

This quote gave me a chuckle:

" Trying to interpret lab tests is a very complex and very specialized

thing and requires knowledge far beyond the usual

layperson's ability, " said Dr. J. Hill, chairman-elect of the

American Medical Association's board. " It's

unfathomable that people are going to order tests that take years of

medical training to understand. "

It's a fairly arrogant stance (and one that is, perhaps, taken out of

context) because there are many tests out there, the results of which

are not very hard to understand at all. How about giving Jane and Joe Q.

Public a little more credit, doc? Could it be that the real worry is

lost $$$$?

[ ] Blood-Test Labs Bypass Doctors, Spurring Debate

>

> March 12, 2002

>

> Blood-Test Labs Bypass Doctors, Spurring Debate

>

> By LAURIE TARKAN

>

>

> Marilynn K. Yee/The New York Times

> Dottye has blood drawn for tests to determine the medication

level for treatment of a thyroid ailment. Ms.

> orders the blood tests through the Web site HealthcheckUSA, an

independent laboratory, then gets the results over the

> Internet.