A recent Wall Street Journal article described how patients are increasingly diagnosing themselves with health tests, wearables, and even AI chatbots. 

Blood tests can now be ordered online through national labs like Quest Diagnostics, body scans through platforms like Fitnescity Health, ECGs tracked on our wrists, and symptom questions asked of an algorithm.

To me, this isn’t a fringe movement. It’s the future of healthcare — one where individuals have greater ownership of their health.

Why I Believe in This Shift

For too long, health has been reactive: wait until you’re sick, then see a doctor. Self-directed tools flip the model. They allow people to:

• Prevent instead of cure by catching risks earlier through continuous monitoring and self-initiated testing.
• Engage more deeply by asking questions, experimenting, and learning what their data means.
• Personalize their care instead of being limited to one-size-fits-all recommendations.

This is why I’ve built my work — and Fitnescity Health — around making consumer testing and preventive tools more accessible. Because informed, engaged people make better decisions for themselves and their families.

But Caution Matters

Of course, not every device or test is created equal. There are real concerns about:

• Accuracy and validation — some tools are rock-solid, others are not.
• Fragmented care — without integration, patients risk a stack of results with no clear next step.
• Privacy and trust — data stewardship is critical when what’s at stake is your health.

That’s where society needs balance: empowering people while setting guardrails to ensure safety, trust, and effectiveness.

The Path Forward

I don’t see this as patients replacing physicians. I see a partnership of three: patients empowered by data, technologists like Fitnescity Health providing continuous insights, and clinicians offering judgment and guidance.

At Fitnescity Health, many of you are already part of this movement — using consumer health tests and preventive tools to take charge of your health journey. 

This October also marks our 5th birthday, and we’re proud to celebrate how far we’ve come with all of you — proving that proactive, consumer-driven health isn’t just possible. It’s here.