Doctors question safety of self-testing medical kits
Health tests and scans for the 'worried well' may do more harm than good
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Tuesday, 11, Mar 2008 11:11
Doctors and scientists have raised concerns today about the safety of self-testing medical kits for the 'worried well'.
A group of doctors and the Sense About Science organisation say the tests could cause potential damage and are calling for a national system to evaluate laboratory tests.
They are concerned that despite the huge growth in established laboratory tests and marketing of testing to healthy people there is no system to provide doctors or patients with evidence on performance and usefulness.
A report published today by Sense About Science with the Association of Clinical Biochemistry, the PHG Foundation and the Royal College of Pathologists says most tests were not designed for well people and are not researched or adequately regulated.
It adds that tests are only one part of diagnosis and that they can cause harm, especially in well people.
Presenting the report at parliament today, its authors say a national system is needed to evaluate diagnostic tests along with a publicly accessible database to provide evidence of performance and usefulness.
They argue that policymakers need to decide who is responsible for gathering evidence and meeting the costs.
Professor Peter Furness, vice president of the Royal College of Pathologists, said: "Market forces only work if consumers can judge the quality of what they are getting.
"But even professionals find it difficult to assess the quality and usefulness of medical tests.
"To base an important decision only on one-sided marketing hype is surely a recipe for disaster. We need an independent system to evaluate all these tests, with its results published and easily available to everyone."