Do It Yourself?

Those easy-to-use home medical tests can be anything but. Some are downright misleading

"It's as easy as 1, 2, 3." At least that's what's promised in the promotional material for a battery-powered blood-sugar monitor widely available in pharmacies. The device is one of the new wave of do-it-yourself home medical tests that will check everything from your blood pressure to your HIV status. In an age of managed care and skyrocketing doctor's fees, this niche market is rapidly growing into a multibillion-dollar industry. But before you fork over the cash for an "easy to use" kit, you had better take a look at the fine print.

That's the thrust of a report in last...

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