On a recent episode of The Early Show on CBS (Saturday, March 15th), Dr. Mallika Marshall made an appearance to weigh in on the issue of do-it-yourself medical tests. She ultimately asserts that the most familiar tests are helpful to the average person, but she definitely shows concern that many people don't read the directions carefully enough. The number and variety of tests that patients can administer on their own is staggering. Dr. Marshall makes an important point that most people seem to miss: these tests are not geared toward healthy people. She also urges viewers not to use these take home tests as substitutes for professional medical examinations.
The link posted here leads to an article that summarizes Dr. Marshall's thoughts as she expressed them on the recent episode of The Early Show. I suggest that you, my peers, watch the video before reading the article. The audiovisual spoke out to me much better than the article. Dr. Marshall's feelings on this issue made much more sense to me as I watched her different facial expressions and listened to the different tones in her voice throughout the show.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
I have seen advertisements for such tests and I never realized how prevalent these kits actually were. I am surprised that many of these kits are even allowed to be sold. The accuracy of the results derived from the kits is strongly dependent upon the individual using the kit. I strongly agree with the view expressed in the article that these tests should be left to health care professionals. These tests contribute to the growing trend of patient self-diagnosis, and further contribute to distancing the patient from the physician.
This article illustrates the complexities of decreasing the divide between expert and layperson. While procedures may be time-consuming and inconvenient, there is also a certain level of trust placed into medical professionals whereas do it yourself kits work at your own risk. I too see ads essentially promoting such self diagnosis daily but need think about their bioethical implications. I agree with the article comment that “testing healthy people for hidden diseases isn't really such a good idea” and the subsequent replies about the simplicity yet effectiveness of the scale.
This article and accompanying video were very interesting. I was not aware of just how many at-home tests there were. I searched online for some of the tests they mentioned and found a website that sold a lot: homehealthtesting.com.
One thing that I noticed in their home-page blurb was the audience they were directing it towards. I think a lot of their success in selling these tests has to do with science literacy. Not knowing how to get tested for things like HIV, or Thyroid can make people feel uncomfortable or insecure. They might feel embarrassed to ask their doctor or not even know where to go. One of the things they mention is that many of these issues are 'sensitive in nature.' Avoiding health professionals and conducting a test at home may be easier, but is that really a good reflection of our understanding of health-care? Are people too afraid to talk to a physician in confidence(!) that they resort to these tests?
It raises a lot of concerns with science literacy and understanding the results, to doctor-patient communication and self-diagnosis. I'm not surprised that this is such a big concern in the health-world. If companies like this continue to work for profit and retaining 'long-term, repeat customers' instead of educating the public to see a health care professional, I have no doubt that this will only get worse.
Post a Comment