title: [Alternative clinical-chemical laboratories: providers of incorrect or non-existant diagnoses].
abstract: Until recently, alternative doctors and healers used to employ alternative ways of making their alternative diagnoses such as electro-acupuncture, iridiscopy, plantar reflexology, live blood analysis, aura reading and bioresonance methods. Two recent papers report the emergence of unjustified diagnoses, resulting from clinical chemistry testing in commercial laboratories with an alternative philosophy and character. Dutch law considers medicine to be a profession for which no special knowledge is demanded. Even incorrect diagnostic procedures and the diagnosis of non-existent diseases by these laboratories is not illegal, in spite of the resulting detrimental effects to the health and the purse of patients. Some would consider the Dutch law in this respect too liberal.
authors.forename: C N M
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Renckens
mesh_terms: D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000592:standards*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D007883:Legislation, Medical; D009426:Netherlands