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The other day I was debating merits of DIY healthcare with my buddy, Brian Klepper, PhD -- healthcare analyst and pundit extraordinaire. He is not a fan, preferring instead to have better, stronger, more informed, technologically enabled physicians working in accountable care organizations. I am also a big believer in ACOs, patient-centered medical homes, and informed physicians -- and all that stuff -- but I think health care consumers (aka patients) are going to want to control more of their healthcare than they are currently able to do today.
The internet has made medical information more accessible than ever before. People with serious illnesses and/or chronic diseases sometimes end up knowing more about their condition than their physicians. But reading and understanding a medical condition will only scratch the tip of the consumer empowerment iceberg. What I am really interested in exploring is how technology can be used to further drive a true “consumer-directed healthcare” revolution.
Now I want to make it clear I am not proposing that people do their own surgery (although some have done it). Nor am I proposing self-prescription of expensive and/or potentially toxic therapeutics. But I am talking about consumers being able to order their own lab tests without involving a physician... and self-prescription of certain categories of medications (e.g.,statins).
Consumers are already doing some of these things. For example, diabetics routinely test their blood glucose at will. For years, women have been diagnosing their pregnancies via home pregnancy tests. Hand-held devices are available in most drug stores and online to measure hemoglobin A1c, cholesterol levels, test for a UTI and even screen your urine for drugs before you go for your pre-employment drug testing. There is now an FDA approved test for HIV -- you draw the blood at home and send it into the lab.
Several companies are on the market that allow consumers to order a wide variety of blood tests at a relatively modest price, and then go to a local affiliated lab for the blood draw -– all of this without involving a physician. The tests come with interpretation, but if you want to learn more about your tests and what they mean, there is a website that can help you out.
Gadgets are also readily available for consumers to monitor blood pressure, heart rate and fetal heart sounds. You can buy home defibrillators, portable interpretive EKG machines, and portable ultrasonic ultrasound devices for pain relief. You can stock up on stethoscopes, otoscopes and opthalmoscopes and reflex hammers. Right now, for a price, your bathroom can be as well equipped as your average PCP’s exam room.
Sure, you are saying, but who wants to do that? Well, the answer is some folks do want to do it. Here is a sampling of consumer comments from an online merchandiser that sells medical devices direct to consumer:
"Love the Otoscope! Very easy to use. My daughter has special needs and is prone to getting ear infections, since she cannot communicate it is very hard to determine what is going on with her. No more guessing, can now look in her ears and can determine if she has an infection or not. No more waiting for 3-5 days for the doctors office to see her to check her ears."
"Since my husband's family has a history of heart disease, I thought I would look into getting one of these. In researching the topic at the Consumer Reports website, I found that they reported that the resuscitation rate nationally is 2 to 5%. With a Home Defibrillator, the rate jumps to 40 to 50%. In researching further, I found that the Phillips is the only Home Defibrillator available to buy without a prescription. The website for this product, www.heartstarthome.com, has a wealth of information. They offer assistance in finding out if insurance or Medicare will cover some of the cost of this product…I was very impressed with the amount of on-line support at this website, including a video and a demo. The demo shows exactly how the product works. It removed all doubt about whether I would be able to use this product. (Obviously, taking the American Heart Association class is highly advisable!) Thanks, Philips."
“Being a 1st time mom and a diabetic, I fall into the "High-Risk" category. I was constantly in an anxious state. I wanted peace of mind. After looking at dopplers all
