Patients are entitled to all information about their care and our results
form an increasing part of that care. They are also entitled to seek advice
from whomsoever they choose.
Every laboratory has some horror stories about tests that have been
misinterpreted/not looked at and many in the legal profession make a good
living from medical mistakes or negligence.
Noone knows quite as much about any single condition as those who have it.
Diabetes is largely self-managed and 30 years ago the only option for
glucose estimation was the laboratory. Now self testing for HbA1c is
available. Why should they not be able to get better assays cheaper through
direct laboratory access?
The question is less whether there needs to be change, more how is the
demand to be satisfied, what precautions are needed and who pays.
My concern with web sites such as labtestonline is the extent to which a
conflict of interest results from the concept that our 'product' is a test
result. The sooner the diagnostics industry (including the laboratories) is
'paid' for information rather than data the better.
Trevor Tickner,
Norwich
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dr David G Williams [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 09 August 2001 08:46
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: labtestsonline (ooh theres a parapet Ill shove my
>
> >Imagine if patients were give free access to you and asked you these 4
> questions (under Mr Blairs patientocentric view of the NHS your line is
> now
> blocked with 15 pending incomming calls)<
>
> Its already happening, some doctors are now advising their patients to
> phone
> the lab to get their results. This puts us in a difficult position as
> currently
> we do not give out results to patients.
>
> Perhaps its time for a change - I'm inclined to agree with John
>
>
> Dr D G Williams
> FRCPath
>
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