Self-Testing, Social Media, and the Doctor Dilemma: How Patients Are Rewriting the Rules on Medical Diagnostics

New expectations for patient care best reflect a familiar adage: “the customer is always right.” Americans are no longer bystanders in healthcare. They think like paying customers and expect to have a prominent voice in clinical decisions.

The nationwide survey conducted by YouGov and commissioned by Siemens Healthineers reveals a surge in patient confidence, and how social media advice is reshaping the interactions patients have with their doctors and influencing the tests clinicians order on their behalf. Meanwhile, “DIY” testing is activating curious patients and further fueling patient confidence.

Empowered patients signal doctors’ insight might be optional

Among 1,000 U.S. adults surveyed who have had lab testing done within the past two years, 93% expect their doctor to order a test upon request and 37% say they have asked for a test. Nearly one in five (17%) say social media helped inform that request.

Others, meanwhile, do not hesitate to question their healthcare provider’s medical expertise: While 95% say they trust their healthcare provider to order tests appropriate for their care, only 87% say they would trust their provider’s guidance if they advised against a requested test. This growing tension between patient-driven expectations and evidence- and expertise-based care is likely to intensify as emerging AI-powered tools begin offering personalized health interpretations.

Americans also have become accustomed to DIY testing that can help satisfy curiosity about their health. More than a quarter (27%) have pursued blood testing from a laboratory without a physician recommendation. Another 22% have taken at-home tests such as DNA, fertility, or testosterone panels.

A widening transparency gap

While DIY testing empowers patients, it also widens a health data transparency gap. Notably, 49% who opted for self-testing did not share their results with a healthcare provider.

“It’s important for people to understand that lab results are one piece of the puzzle,” Zwickl said. “They are meant to be interpreted alongside other clinically relevant information. The data suggests that this crucial step is at risk as people act on their own. Continued transparency is important.”

Confidence likely fuels this behavior. Seventy-eight percent say they generally feel capable of interpreting test results without help from someone with medical expertise, and one in three believe self-administered tests are as accurate as those performed in a doctor’s office.

“Greater patient interest in testing is creating new opportunities for dialogue between patients and clinicians,” said Michele Zwickl, head of laboratory solutions for Diagnostics at Siemens Healthineers North America. “With proper transparency and education, expanded access to testing and health data can improve patient care and engage patients more deeply in their health.”

Empowered and valued, but limited by affordability?

Cost is one barrier that may be preventing more people from self-testing, even as interest rises. DIY methods are not usually covered by insurance. The survey reveals many Americans still struggle to afford even routine diagnostic tests ordered to inform care decisions. Of the nearly one-third of respondents carrying unpaid medical bills, 52% say their debt includes lab testing fees.

The value Americans place on test results underscores why they want some control over their use: Nearly all respondents (98%) said lab results provide meaningful insights into their health, and 94% said they’re more likely to follow a doctor’s advice when it’s backed by a test result. Further, while only 5% would delay bloodwork due to cost, 22% would postpone more expensive imaging such as MRIs or CT scans.

In this new era of medical autonomy, patients are signaling loud and clear: they want a say in the earliest decisions supporting their care.