So why cant we get lab tests done without doctor's orders?

[Newell Steamer]

Yeah! And major surgery too! I can handle pain. And, I am pretty good with a saw, knife and a fast learner (for stitching).

 

[bradley]

Actually I opted to treat myself after a major cut to the bone with nothing more than disinfectant and cyanoacrylate. Today you can't even see a hint of scarring.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

Suppose I want to know my blood cholesterol level, triglycerides or blood sugar, why cant I just want into a lab and ask for the test? Why the F do I need a doctors order or permission to do that? There is no possible danger to me from the test, if I am willing to pay, why cant i get it? The only word come to my mind to for the situation is collusion and gouging, screw American doctors and the medical system

/random_daily_rant

There is a risk to blood tests. Thrombophlebitis, infection, air embolus, etc etc, and for cubital fossa draws, there is a risk of hitting the radial artery.

Also, if you actually need to know these tests for an actual medical reason (compared to idle curiosity) doctors should be able to give out recurring orders.

Also, FYI, lab-reported blood sugar is a pretty useless test. If you're measuring insulin response, any of the home-testing kits will be quicker and cheaper. If you're diagnosing diabetes, HbA1c is arguably a better test anyway. The only reason I can think of to get a lab to test glucose is for a glucose tolerance or polycose test.

 

[alkemyst]

Hai guys...

I posted a link where you can get tests done. No prescription or DR. orders necessary.

 

[alkemyst]

lol at those that can handle pain above as well.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

check it out................



what's wrong is that we have this system set up to make doctors the upper echelon of society.......





the human body is NOT that complicated.

there's fucking AUDI's more complicated.


there'a reason you dont see this bullshit in other countries. which is the same reason doctors are middle-upper class in other parts of the world........there's not doctors that make 250k a quarter.

No.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

the human body is NOT that complicated.

there's fucking AUDI's more complicated.

No.

 

[uclaLabrat]

check it out................



what's wrong is that we have this system set up to make doctors the upper echelon of society.......





the human body is NOT that complicated.

there's fucking AUDI's more complicated.


there'a reason you dont see this bullshit in other countries. which is the same reason doctors are middle-upper class in other parts of the world........there's not doctors that make 250k a quarter.

No, just no. The human body is that complicated. I'd ask people here refrain from grand prognostications abut things they have no clue about, but it's the ATOT way.

 

[TheVrolok]

Because people are dumb.

I was going to type up a detailed response, but honestly, this one is better. Short. Sweet. True.

 

[Chaotic42]

No, just no. The human body is that complicated. I'd ask people here refrain from grand prognostications abut things they have no clue about, but it's the ATOT way.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect

-
Dunning and Kruger proposed that, for a given skill, incompetent people will:
tend to overestimate their own level of skill;
fail to recognize genuine skill in others;
fail to recognize the extremity of their inadequacy;
recognize and acknowledge their own previous lack of skill, if they are exposed to training for that skill.
-

 

[shortylickens]

that is why zane was put on my ignore list.

Please stop quoting him.

 

[DCal430]

The market for people who want these tests done without the doctor interpreting the results is tiny.

The insurance company isn't going to want to pay, because it's a waste of money unless it's an expert who is going to interpret the results.

And, for those very few individuals who would be willing to pay cash for these results, it's simply not worth it to most companies for the liability risks they may be taking. I don't know what the number is (and the wife isn't home to ask), but let's say that a cholesterol count of 200 is high. If the score is 200, should the TESTING agency do the doctor's job: interpreting those results for the patient? So, let's say that they do tell anyone with a 200 or higher count that they have high cholesterol. What happens when a guy with 198 has a heart attack the next day, and family's lawyer: "you should have advised our client that his cholesterol was borderline and that if he had any other factors, such as high blood pressure, he would be at elevated risk for a heart attack."

The cost to defend themselves from 1 lawsuit in 20 years (even if they win) is greater than all the profits they would make in 20 years from people paying out of pocket to run these tests without a doctor.

It has nothing to do with liabilities and what not. There are federal and state laws prohibiting it. In Some states patients aren't even permitted to see their test results directly from labs, everything must go through a doctor. The reason is because of the AMA. The AMA is the one who pushed these laws.

Like HIV testing, most countries anyone can get Gen 4 HIV test, but these are not allowed in the U.S without a doctor request, so almost no one uses them in the U.S. Clinics are stuck using Gen 3 test which are not as accurate, because a doctor request is not required on a Gen 3 test. So people in UK who go to a clinic for an HIV test are getting a test that is many years more advance that those in the U.S, all because AMA lobbying.

 

[DCal430]

Exactly. But, when someone comes in, gets a test done, and their score is incredibly high, when they say nothing, then again, lawyers. "You saw his score was more than double what is generally considered as high cholesterol, yet you negligently did NOT inform my client that he should see a doctor.


Again, the cost of defending themselves from just one lawsuit in 20 years is more than the additional profits they could make by doing extra tests on the side, besides what's ordered by doctors.

That should be up to the company, not the AMA and the government who has created laws prohibiting it.

 

[DCal430]

There are also tons of web based companies who have medical doctors on staff in each state, who will sign off on any lab that someone wants. Though two states still prohibit this, New York and New Jersey. But clearly these companies don't worry about liabilities.

 

[Lepton87]

check it out................



what's wrong is that we have this system set up to make doctors the upper echelon of society.......





the human body is NOT that complicated.

there's fucking AUDI's more complicated.


there'a reason you dont see this bullshit in other countries. which is the same reason doctors are middle-upper class in other parts of the world........there's not doctors that make 250k a quarter.

The human body is very complicated, unbelievably so, impossible to treat anything that might go wrong for a single person. Maybe if he's a genius with an IQ north of 200 and has a low latent inhibition etc.
Here in Poland doctors aren't very rich, mostly just rich, especially if they work in public hospitals. That's why a very sizable portion of them emigrated to UK and other countries in EU. I think they are under-compensated in public hospitals, my family doctor drives a car that is 4x less expensive then mine, he certainly doesn't earn that much. Private clinics are another matter or plastic surgeons.
BTW. I'm not rich, far from it.