Docs Who Lift Predatory Lab Testing: What They’re Not Telling You
Aug 16, 2025
Austin Baraki and Jordan Feigenbaum, physicians from Barbell Medicine, dive into the risks of direct-to-consumer lab testing. They discuss alarming marketing tactics that prey on patient anxieties and the pitfalls of inadequate communication within healthcare. The duo highlights the rise of unqualified influencers promoting questionable lab services and the dangers of misinterpretation of results. They call for ethical practices in testing, emphasizing the need for thorough professional evaluation and collaboration to improve patient outcomes.
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Missed Workup After DTC Iron Finding
- Austin described a patient who found iron deficiency via DTC testing and was simply told to take iron.
- Jordan warned that treating without workup can miss dangerous causes like occult bleeding.
DTC Labs Repackage Existing Tests
- Direct-to-consumer lab companies repack common lab panels and use heavy marketing to bypass traditional care.
- They target convenience and dissatisfaction with primary care to scale rapidly.
Systemic Access And Communication Gaps
- Long waits and rushed primary-care visits push patients toward DTC testing as a means to be heard.
- Poor communication and short visits create fertile ground for the DTC market.