This pathologizes life! Who can assure that your creatinine increase is not attributable to aging? Several disorders produce positive antinuclear antibodies, although this does not necessarily rule out the diagnosis... As a researcher, you may see this circumstance as a method to gather a large amount of information from multiple people in one location, but the ethical quandaries involved can even lead to a firm studying a blood test and uncovering diseases that the individual may not want others to know about...
I hear you, we can't be sure on anything- biology is complex and so, that's why more data has this promise of more insights. The interpretation is so important.
Your comment about data ownership is appreciated. I realized after posting that I hadn't covered that aspect here, but there are various policies that protect the patient / user including HIPPA and SOC-2 and terms & conditions upon sign-up. I agree, we should all be aware of where our data is going. (23andme is a great example). Some of the options follow strict privacy rules while others do not. Traditional testing like through your doctor or a large provider is the safest at the moment.
Do you think the use of your data is most important to you?
Thanks for your feedback, Kelsey! In Brazil, we have a public healthcare system that, despite its shortcomings, remains universal. This is directly related to how medical training in Brazil is intended to be socially and economically viable. Here, we're taught to order tests that genuinely improve prognosis, which probably confirms my way of thinking. By the way, the scientific rhetoric of "long-term accumulation of information" is entirely unsustainable, both economically and scientifically. The cost of the procedure generates a major bias by excluding groups that cannot afford the testing. Overall, an excellent text, however I believe additional meditation on prejudices and the pathologization of life is required. Thank you very much!
Yes, this post was never meant to be a commentary on the global state of healthcare. But it's an interesting idea to flush out what is the threshold between better access to comprehensive care and "pathologizing life". As you mention, Americans have a worse picture of their health, which could help with our lifestyles to see it clearly. What gets measured, gets managed. Stay tuned!
This pathologizes life! Who can assure that your creatinine increase is not attributable to aging? Several disorders produce positive antinuclear antibodies, although this does not necessarily rule out the diagnosis... As a researcher, you may see this circumstance as a method to gather a large amount of information from multiple people in one location, but the ethical quandaries involved can even lead to a firm studying a blood test and uncovering diseases that the individual may not want others to know about...
Hi Brainbow!
I hear you, we can't be sure on anything- biology is complex and so, that's why more data has this promise of more insights. The interpretation is so important.
Your comment about data ownership is appreciated. I realized after posting that I hadn't covered that aspect here, but there are various policies that protect the patient / user including HIPPA and SOC-2 and terms & conditions upon sign-up. I agree, we should all be aware of where our data is going. (23andme is a great example). Some of the options follow strict privacy rules while others do not. Traditional testing like through your doctor or a large provider is the safest at the moment.
Do you think the use of your data is most important to you?
Thanks for your feedback, Kelsey! In Brazil, we have a public healthcare system that, despite its shortcomings, remains universal. This is directly related to how medical training in Brazil is intended to be socially and economically viable. Here, we're taught to order tests that genuinely improve prognosis, which probably confirms my way of thinking. By the way, the scientific rhetoric of "long-term accumulation of information" is entirely unsustainable, both economically and scientifically. The cost of the procedure generates a major bias by excluding groups that cannot afford the testing. Overall, an excellent text, however I believe additional meditation on prejudices and the pathologization of life is required. Thank you very much!
Yes, this post was never meant to be a commentary on the global state of healthcare. But it's an interesting idea to flush out what is the threshold between better access to comprehensive care and "pathologizing life". As you mention, Americans have a worse picture of their health, which could help with our lifestyles to see it clearly. What gets measured, gets managed. Stay tuned!