Experts not impressed by lab test packages

Looking to gift his wife something unusual on Karva Chauth, Delhi businessman Devesh Verma zeroed in on a novel option -- of buying her a health package.
The package involved a series of tests for blood sugar (diabetes), vitamin D (strength of bones) and serum creatinine (kidney) along with lipid profile (cardiac).
With several executive health packages being offered by private hospitals and diagnostics, experts feel, is growing as an industry. The phenomenon does, however, raise concerns, they add.
"Laboratory medicine is a vital speciality which is of prime importance in assisting doctors to arrive at a correct diagnosis but, unfortunately, lab medicine is becoming an industry where the emphasis is more and more on tests whether required or not," says Dr Navin Dang, Director of Dr Dangs Lab.

According to a senior doctor at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, such health packages are not scientific as there are very few diseases which can be picked up early, like blood pressure, diabetes, anaemia, etc.
"Tests have to be directed to a specific objective. In such health packages, barring a few necessary ones, most of the tests are unnecessary.
"For example, at present breast cancer is quite prevalent and every other woman is going for check up. Some hospitals offer mammogram screening as part of their health package. But a woman less than 40 (years of age) should not opt for such screening as it exposes them to radiation and so doing an ultra-sound should be enough," the doctor says.

Also, in the absence of stringent guidelines on screening, some experts said they feel that these tests do not serve much of a purpose.