Should you let people check on the internet whether they’ve got an increased risk of contracting a serious disease? Yes say many Dr's in the Netherlands, because GPs don’t have time for such time-consuming screening, say the brains behind a new online health test. Yes, says the ethicist, but only if there’s something you can do to reduce the risk once you know about it.
Do you belong to a high-risk group for a common condition like cardiovascular disease, diabetes or cancer? Recently Dutch people can find out for themselves. An online test has been developed by the Bronovo Hospital in The Hague in collaboration with GPs all over the country. Click here for the the Dutch version of the test.
The test comes in two parts, basic and advanced. The free basic version lets you check your risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and sustaining kidney damage. The advanced version comes with a 20-euro price tag, and focuses on six different types of cancer, a number of common preventable diseases, and the risks posed by an unhealthy lifestyle. An English version of the test will be available soon.
The test is based on official guidelines used by all Dutch GPs. So what’s the point of an online test? Why not just let doctors do it? It’s a question of time, says surgeon Arthur Niggebrugge, one of the project’s initiators. "The 28 guidelines – if you go through all the questions in detail, which is very important – make for around 150 questions. The average Dutch GP has 2500 patients. So work it out – it means you’ve got to ask 2500 times 150 equals 375,000 questions to screen all your patients for these conditions." In other words, it’s impossible.
For more: Everyone's a doctor with the online medical test | Radio Netherlands Worldwide
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