Have I been over-tested by doctors?

Posted by wangzhen @wangzhen, Aug 9 11:21am

On August 9, 2024, around 4 a.m., I sought medical attention due to suspected food poisoning from takeout, with symptoms of headache and nausea. The attending physician diagnosed me and ordered 28 tests. However, I disagree with 19 of these tests, believing they are unreasonable and excessive. The 19 tests in question are as follows: serum creatine kinase test, serum creatine kinase MB test, serum lactate dehydrogenase test, serum α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase test, glycylproline dipeptide test, serum amyloid protein test, glucose test, serum alkaline phosphatase test, serum cholinesterase test, serum total protein test, serum albumin test, serum uric acid test, serum total bilirubin test, serum direct bilirubin test, serum indirect bilirubin test, serum total bile acid test, serum aspartate aminotransferase test, serum alanine aminotransferase test, serum potassium, sodium, chloride, and calcium tests. I believe these tests exceed the necessary scope of diagnosis and may constitute over-medicalization, resulting in an unnecessary financial burden. Please have relevant peers review whether this constitutes over-medicalization.

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@astaingegerdm

@wangzhen
There are some tests that you mentioned that are not routinely ordered in an ER- they would usually be ordered by a specialist.
You can get a copy of your ER visit notes to see what diagnosis the doctor was looking for and what the final diagnosis was. Do you still have a primary care doctor who can review the ER visit with you?

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I don't have a primary care doctor to review my emergency visit with me, so I posted my concerns online hoping that medical professionals could review them. Through their comments, I have a general understanding that these tests might be within the correct range.

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@wangzhen

After I left my job, my health insurance was canceled. However, it's okay; I'm just worried that the hospital might conduct excessive tests on me to make money.

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you have the right to ask for an estimate ahead of testing and refuse numerous tests

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@elisabeth007

you have the right to ask for an estimate ahead of testing and refuse numerous tests

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The doctor just told me to go pay and get my blood tested without explaining which tests I needed. Even if they had explained, I wouldn't have understood. I couldn't exactly Google it right there in front of them, so I had to ask online afterwards.

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