Abstract
Lisa is a 28-year-old patient registered at your surgery. She does not come to the surgery often and has no significant past medical history other than an uncomplicated appendectomy at the age of 26. She has booked an appointment to discuss blood test results that she has had privately. These were advertised to her on social media as part of a wellness ‘check’. You ask her whether she had any symptoms prior to testing and she denies fatigue, weight loss or any other system-specific symptoms. She describes how the company explained that testing can pick up diseases that are yet to display symptoms and she thought it sensible to see if this was the case for her.
Her results show a mildly low vitamin D level, a progesterone level that is marginally above the upper limit of the reference range and a C-reactive protein (CRP) of 10. She asks you what the blood tests mean and whether she needs any further investigations.
How would you explain these blood test results to Lisa? What additional questions would you ask? Does she need any further investigations? What ethical dilemmas do commercial blood tests pose for the health system, healthcare professionals and patients? What professional guidance are you aware of for screening tests? Is there any justification for screening in this case?
