Who Needs Doctors?

Do-it-yourself medical tests are popping up in malls and on the Web. Can they be trusted?

At least once a year, Neil Koun calls HealthcheckUSA in San Antonio and orders up a battery of laboratory tests. Then he drives to a labthree miles from his home in Naples, Fla., and has his blood drawn. The tests, which cost $140, are conducted by his neighborhood lab; Healthcheck collects the results and delivers them directly to him. Each of the 45 measurements is explained in detail; the numbers that raise red flags are sequestered in a column for his attention. And Koun, a 65-year-old investment banker, pays attention--especially to his prostate specific antigen (PSA) scores. The PSA results, Healthcheck...

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