As useful as self-diagnostic equipment cam be, the more we can measure, the more likely people with unwarranted health worries can run to the doctor with "My X level is off by 5% says my $150 uncalibrated thing".
I get the feeling that this falls somewhere between very useful (like glucose level to a diabetic), and negatively helpful (a misinterpreted level that causes unhelpful behavior).
It's not easy to interpret these numbers and you have to have quite a deep understanding of statistics, i.e you can be in the normal range and be sick, and you can be outside and be healthy. Type i/ii errors, precision, accuracy, calibration etc etc. I'm sure hackernews knows what's up I'm sure.
It's said about 90% of all diagnosis can be made only on taking the history. Tests are normally only done to assure, quantify, guide treatment etc.
* Testosterone: I have no idea why you would be interested in measuring this at home and I strongly suspect this could lead to misguided treatment with severe side effects.
* Inflamation: Probably a C-reactive protein. Pretty much useless on it's own.
* Fertility: Not sure exactly what they measure but I guess LSH/FSH. This job can be more easily done with a thermometer.
* Vitamin D: If you are worried, get it checked ONCE. No need to check day to day. If you take a supplement, your body will regulate the rest.
* Influenza: Again, not sure what they are testing and why you would want to do this as there's no specific treatment. When you do a test, always reflect what you will use the result for.
IMHO this device lacks the "test" that actually would be useful, like * glucose * maybe TSH * your weight * your activity level * your caloric intake * your sleep
Because these are things that actually mean a lot to your general wellbeing.
[not native english speaker disclaimer]
> It's not easy to interpret these numbers and you have to have quite a deep understanding of statistics, i.e you can be in the normal range and be sick, and you can be outside and be healthy. Type i/ii errors, precision, accuracy, calibration etc etc. I'm sure hackernews knows what's up I'm sure.
Doctors mathematical abilities are less than legendary. I would rather own the raw data and choose my own method of analysis.
> It's said about 90% of all diagnosis can be made only on taking the history. Tests are normally only done to assure, quantify, guide treatment etc.
This is an argument for this device. Having something at home that you can use to test on regular basis will give you the rich historical data you need to make a better diagnosis.
The goal is to discover a problem before you are sick enough to feel the need for constant testing.
The tests seem to interest different groups. I imagine these are the first of many different types of tests planned. You are right about glucose, they probably didn't go there yet because of the competition.
A lot of you arguments are "if you want this tested go to the doctor." Really? do you know what a pain in the ass it is to go to the doctor? First I have to take of work, then I have to wait for him. Then I have to talk to a doctor or nurse about my concerns only to have them act like they are unimportant. Of course there is the cost. Honestly as a consumer I find going to the doctor to be one of the most annoying experiences.
I'll stay at home if I can
However, medicine needs to develop and home diagnosis and early detection along with encouraging and active lifestyle is the future. There are some tough challenges ahead. Maybe this is a step in the right direction, but as I said, I'm not 100% convinced by this device as i feel it kind of misses the point and focuses on some random fairly unimportant tests.
Well let's say your CRP went to a 100, your nose is running and you have a a cough... what would you do?
> Doctors mathematical abilities are less than legendary.
True that :-)
Testosterone: saliva sample, free testosterone
Fertility: blood sample, Luteinizing Hormone (LH)
Inflammation: blood sample, C Reactive Protien
Vitamin D: blood sample, 25(OH)D Vitamin D
Flu: nostril swab, Influenza A
any further thoughts?
Testosterone: still not sure why you would like to test this regularly at home. But I'm not an endocrinologist.
CRP: Very unspecfic marker of inflamation.
LH: I guess I was wrong and this could be quite useful http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/950047
Vitamin D: Severe depletion can give you unspecific symptoms so it's not bad. There's just no need to test it more than once really. If you are depleted just take supplements.
Flu: Still beats me why this would be useful other than general interest (which sometimes is enough I guess).
Babies
I, for one, would not shed a tear if the role of human diagnostician is replaced by computer systems with far more raw data to work with than was ever before possible.
Watching a family member with an extended illness, I came to the conclusion that we would be better off if doctors stopped thinking of themselves AS healthcare and were instead the human face of delivering healthcare.
I believe you are right. I'm sorry you had bad experiences. All physicians are different.
I believe all patients should take an active role in their healthcare (that includes smoking, diet and exercise). My point is only that sometimes a misappropriate amount of time can be wasted on very very subtle differences and we forget the big picture.
Computer diagnostics is the future. I'm on HN for a reason.
My concern with Cue is both medical and practical. I'm a Rheumatologist, so I deal with CRP/Inflammation a lot. Its an incredibly non specific test, with large variability. It does have a utility in monitoring disease activity but usually in conjunction with a physical exam and other testing. A positive/elevated test with poor specificity has a poor positive predictive value. So my practical concern is, lets say you use cue to check your CRP, and its elevated. Okay, so what? What information did one just gain from this device. I think the same can be said from the other tests.
In the words of Horace Dediu, I'm not sure what the "Job To Be Done" is for Cue. What is someone hiring Cue to do for them? I really don't know.