Ideally, if your HIV test comes back positive, you'd also be given information such as how likely false positives
Unfortunately, try telling someone that the ELISA test is 99% accurate to resasure them that they probably aren't HIV positive. :-)
Ideally, there wouldn't be this tradeoff between the efficiency of the system and any one individual's health.
If we could diagnose w/ 100% accuracy then it would be easy. If our medications had no side effects and resistance to antibiotics didn't then it would be easy. But once you put those two things together, even throwing economics aside, you have to be careful that you're not harming more people than helping, net.
While FB saved the day here, I know from my doctor friends that online diagnosis in the hands of most people hasn't been net beneficial. With that said, in the hands of some (and I suspect that those of us on HN are in this minority) we can provide real value to doctors.
If we could diagnose w/ 100% accuracy then it would be easy. If our medications had no side effects and resistance to antibiotics didn't then it would be easy. But once you put those two things together, even throwing economics aside, you have to be careful that you're not harming more people than helping, net.
Well, in my last paragraph, I said it probably wouldn't be easy. Doesn't mean we shouldn't try. I admit, I have a bias towards personal choice - I suppose it's possible society would be worse off with more freedom in this case.
Unfortunately, try telling someone that the ELISA test is 99% accurate to resasure them that they probably aren't HIV positive. :-)
Ideally, there wouldn't be this tradeoff between the efficiency of the system and any one individual's health.
If we could diagnose w/ 100% accuracy then it would be easy. If our medications had no side effects and resistance to antibiotics didn't then it would be easy. But once you put those two things together, even throwing economics aside, you have to be careful that you're not harming more people than helping, net.
While FB saved the day here, I know from my doctor friends that online diagnosis in the hands of most people hasn't been net beneficial. With that said, in the hands of some (and I suspect that those of us on HN are in this minority) we can provide real value to doctors.