As an integrative medicine doctor, I've witnessed firsthand the growing distrust many patients have towards what's often called "Big Health"—i.e., the traditional medical establishment in the U.S.
Many patients come to me because of that distrust, because the medical establishment has failed to manage a chronic condition, or a delivered diagnosis and pharmaceutical solutions while ignoring underlying causes.
The Washington Post's piece from June on the rise of DIY health testing highlighted the trend, showcasing people who are increasingly turning to alternative methods when conventional medicine fails them.
The story detailed in the article of Angelika Sharma and her daughter Annika is particularly telling. After "half a dozen pediatric specialists largely dismissed her daughter's ailments," Sharma turned to a Silicon Valley start-up for answers. This desperation is all too familiar in my practice. Patients often come to me feeling let down by a system that seems more focused on treating symptoms than uncovering root causes.
However, while this frustration is understandable, I caution against the wholesale rejection of traditional medicine. I say this having worked as an emergency medicine physician for more than two decades, and witnessed the many successes and failings of our system first-hand. But the solution isn't necessarily to abandon the medical establishment entirely—I believe it is to seek out practitioners who can bridge the gap between conventional and holistic approaches.
The Post article points out that "the boom [in DIY approaches] angers some doctors, who argue that circumventing their offices can lead to questionable remedies, misdiagnosis or delayed medical care." This is a valid concern. While home testing and DIY approaches can provide valuable insights, they also come with risks when not properly interpreted or contextualized.
As Dr. Zachary Rubin, an allergy doctor quoted in the article, warns: at-home food sensitivity tests can lead people to "go for years thinking they have a diagnosis when they don't have one." In rare cases, he says, patients have even "become malnourished after radically altering their diets in response to the tests."
In other words, data without proper interpretation can be misleading or even dangerous.
So where does this leave patients? The answer, I believe, lies in finding a middle ground. Integrative medicine, at its best, recognizes the value of traditional medical knowledge while re-orienting patient care toward long-term partnerships with patients, personalized approaches, and a focus on treating underlying causes rather than only symptoms.
The rise of DIY testing and biometric devices like Oura Rings, Apple Watches and continuous glucose monitors can be incredibly useful tools when used correctly (I wore a glucose monitor for many months). They empower patients with real-time data about their health. However, as I often tell my patients, it's easy to become obsessed with numbers without understanding their broader context.
This is where the role of a trusted medical partner becomes crucial. In my practice, the focus is on gathering diagnostic data that not only evaluates current conditions but also looks at 5-10 year horizons to minimize long term risks rather than just immediate symptoms. We use data from home tests and wearables but interpret it within the context of a patient's overall health, lifestyle, and goals.
As health-tech investor Anarghya Vardhana says in the article, "If you don't give patients the tools, they will go figure it out themselves." This is true, but those tools need to come with guidance. Patients deserve both access to information and the expertise to understand it.
The ultimate goal should be personalized, patient-centered care that takes advantage of technological advances while still grounding decisions in solid medical science. This doesn't mean blindly trusting "Big Health," but it also doesn't mean rejecting it outright in favor of unproven alternatives.
I encourage patients to seek out healthcare providers who are willing to listen, to investigate root causes, and to consider a wide range of treatment options. Integrative medicine practitioners are often well-suited to this role, as we're trained to look at the whole person, not just a set of symptoms.
While the frustrations with traditional medicine highlighted in the Washington Post article are valid, the solution isn't to abandon the system entirely. Instead, patients should seek out healthcare partners who can help them navigate both conventional and alternative approaches, interpreting data from home tests and wearables within a broader context of long term overall health.
Dignity Integrative offers functional and integrative medicine services in-person in Maryland and communities surrounding Washington D.C., including Rockville, Germantown, Gaithersburg, Bethesda, and Olney. Contact us today for a free 15-minute consultation.
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