4 ms·

> PS - I’d love to see better and more accessible monitors or testers for things that your body can’t self regulate as easily, like cholesterol levels. Not sur

> PS - I’d love to see better and more accessible monitors or testers for things that your body can’t self regulate as easily, like cholesterol levels. Not sure if this overlaps with your interest, but you can now self-order tests from mainstream labs. e.g. [1]. Personally I think this cuts into the attractiveness of single-purpose devices. You can order a whole bunch of tests with one blood draw, and selectively only repurchase those that need monitoring over time. You're also likely getting higher-quality data in both the average and worst cases. [1] https://www.questhealth.com/product/cholesterol-lipid-panel-94355M.html https://www.questhealth.com/product/cholesterol-lipid-panel-...

bradlys 2y ago
You cannot do this in certain states like NJ and NY. You will need an MD to order the tests. Same with other things like ordering insulin syringes or whatnot. Means I have to buy stuff from out of state or fly out of state to do my bloodwork. Same issue as before. The medical establishment always trying to find a way to get a cut on everything when it’s entirely unnecessary.
- worstspotgain 2y ago
  Quest excludes AZ, AK and HI, but it does include NY and NJ.
- vineyardmike 2y ago
  You should be able to do this in NY - but I think the phlebotomist has to go to your house. I know people in NYC who get at-home blood work. Your situation may be different, but maybe the laws changed and you should check again if you care.
vineyardmike 2y ago
Yes! I've actually done this (several companies offer this service now). I think this is great if you have a family pre-disposition to something, or want to regularly check for a specific issue. It's also great because many doctors are hesitant to provide blood tests without a diagnosis. I don't think it has the same use cases as at-home monitoring devices though. To use the example of cholesterol, you can be morbidly, dangerously high in your LDL levels, where doctors will put you on medication that day and warn you to basically stop eating. But you can also just have levels that are high - but where lifestyle change alone is effective. Ideally, you'd want to be able to reflect daily/weekly and adapt. The tighter that feedback loop, the better. Quest charges $70 for a cholesterol panel, which for many, is too high for a regular purchase to build a positive feedback loop. Its probably in the "purchase quarterly" and maybe "monthly" range, but I doubt many would be able or willing to go weekly.

bradlys 2y ago

You cannot do this in certain states like NJ and NY. You will need an MD to order the tests. Same with other things like ordering insulin syringes or whatnot. Means I have to buy stuff from out of state or fly out of state to do my bloodwork. Same issue as before. The medical establishment always trying to find a way to get a cut on everything when it’s entirely unnecessary.

worstspotgain 2y ago
Quest excludes AZ, AK and HI, but it does include NY and NJ.
vineyardmike 2y ago
You should be able to do this in NY - but I think the phlebotomist has to go to your house. I know people in NYC who get at-home blood work. Your situation may be different, but maybe the laws changed and you should check again if you care.

vineyardmike 2y ago

Yes! I've actually done this (several companies offer this service now). I think this is great if you have a family pre-disposition to something, or want to regularly check for a specific issue. It's also great because many doctors are hesitant to provide blood tests without a diagnosis. I don't think it has the same use cases as at-home monitoring devices though. To use the example of cholesterol, you can be morbidly, dangerously high in your LDL levels, where doctors will put you on medication that day and warn you to basically stop eating. But you can also just have levels that are high - but where lifestyle change alone is effective. Ideally, you'd want to be able to reflect daily/weekly and adapt. The tighter that feedback loop, the better. Quest charges $70 for a cholesterol panel, which for many, is too high for a regular purchase to build a positive feedback loop. Its probably in the "purchase quarterly" and maybe "monthly" range, but I doubt many would be able or willing to go weekly.