Do direct-to-consumer blood tests pose a threat to consumers, patients and physicians? Or are they a boon akin to the diagnostics and self-tests that help keep automobiles and refrigerators running smoothly? It could go either way if you believe “Direct-to-Consumer Lab Tests, No Doctor Required,” a recent, provocatively titled New York Times article published on June 6, 2016. Given my early involvement with InsideTracker, one of the direct-to-consumer (DTC) lab testing companies mentioned, and given my periodic commentaries on the state of data-driven medicine (here, here, here and here), I ought to have an opinion about this. And I do: I consider DTC lab testing a bold experiment that will ultimately provide many solid use cases for these tests, including improvements in nutrition, exercise and general health.
