March 11, 2024 – Home health diagnostic testing has exploded in recent years. Nasdaq According to a report, the at-home testing market has reached a staggering $45.6 billion and is expected to continue growing at more than 10% annually through 2031.
New coronavirus infection (COVID-19) testing That may have worked, but new home tests for a variety of conditions are becoming widely available. ~ Perform all genetic tests yourself thyroid diseasesexually transmitted diseases (sexually transmitted diseases), to Heart diseaseThere are many cutting-edge options, including: inflammation– Detection of tests that may uncover early signs of conditions such as: Alzheimer's disease.
When it comes to home testing (or in-home testing), convenience is a big advantage. Direct-to-consumer testing For those who think they may have it too, sleep apneaFor example, if you don't want to spend a whole night in discomfort in the hospital for a sleep test, you have the option of taking the test at home and even get fitted for a sleep test. cpap machine as needed.
Although accessible, evaluation is not certain.caveat Dr. Brooke G. Juddassistant professor of medicine and assistant professor of psychiatry at Dartmouth College's Geisel School of Medicine.
„These devices report many metrics such as sleep duration, sleep stages, and blood oxygen levels, but the algorithms for these metrics change rapidly and still provide estimates rather than exact values. It is important to understand that only He is also the medical director of sleep medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
There are other drawbacks to direct-to-consumer testing. new research Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that companies offering at-home tests do not guarantee the same privacy rules that are automatically provided by a doctor's visit, and that these tests require consumers to be responsible for their accuracy. I have found that there are many demands.
Read more to know about home health testing and decide if it's right for you.
Is home testing safe?
Yes – as long as testing is completed Approved by FDA.
„The FDA has always focused on safety when it comes to true direct-to-consumer testing,“ he said. Dr. Mark Fendrick, professor of internal medicine, professor of health management and policy, and director of the Center for Value-Based Insurance Design at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. „These tests are incredibly well researched.“
How can I get a health check at home?
The at-home test works just like the one you get at your doctor's office.
usually, process teeth:
- Consumers purchase tests in stores or online.
- Use the test kit instructions to collect a DNA sample, either saliva, urine, or blood.
- The sample will be mailed to the company that performs the test. Samples are analyzed for specific genetic evidence of specific medical conditions.
- Results are then typically sent to the consumer through a secure web portal. In some cases, the results may simply be positive or negative. In some cases, a medical professional can interpret and discuss the results.
Specific tests and how they work
sleep apnea
Harvard Medical School It is estimated that 60% to 70% of these studies are currently conducted using home appraisals. Sleep apnea test, approved by FDA watch patis a single-use test that works by attaching a finger or chest probe, rather than using the more complex head-sensor systems of traditional in-situ sleep studies. Speak to your doctor via telemedicine chat and have them approve your use of the device. Then use your device at home and send your sleep data to work. The data will be examined by your doctor and, in some cases, a report will be sent to you with recommendations for your CPAP machine. the study WatchPAT has been shown to have a positive predictive value for sleep apnea rates of 79% to 96%. Accuracy in predicting a negative diagnosis of symptoms has been reported to be 96%. It costs about $190 and is usually covered by insurance.
inflammation
Inflammation home tests are sold under many brand names and range in price from approximately $25 to $100. In most cases, the test requires a finger prick, and a blood sample is mailed to the test manufacturer.
EmpowerDX offers one popular option. The company sells a home test that measures his C-reactive protein in the blood, which can indicate a variety of health conditions. The company specifically emphasizes the test's usefulness for determining whether inflammation has activated the immune system. Some of these kits include everly wellit also measures your vitamin D levels to see if you have enough to boost your immune system.
The most important test of this kind is done as follows. quest diagnosis It was introduced to the market last summer as an early diagnostic tool for Alzheimer's disease. This is a blood test that measures beta-amyloid protein, a key indicator of the condition.
Sexually transmitted diseases including HIV
STD test kits are available for about $100 from brands such as: CVS This usually involves sending in a urine sample. Results typically take 5 to 16 days.
Hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism
At-home blood test kits for thyroid are available from many companies, including: Paloma Health. To ensure the highest accuracy, consumers should choose their CLIA and CAP certified kits. Submit your sample and receive your digital results within a few days.
waiting for results
Waiting for test results at home can be stressful.
„I call this 'purgatory screening.' Is it really worth it for someone who has no family, friends, or support system to rely on to receive potentially life-changing test results? '' Fendrick said.
When deciding whether you can tolerate the wait, he had a suggestion.
„Before you begin testing, think about what you would do if the result was positive or negative.“ If the symptoms you are being tested for are potentially serious, you may be better off undergoing an in-person test with a health care provider. there is. This allows you to get results quickly and get professional medical advice quickly.
Guarantee accurate results
This means that even a highly accurate test cannot be 100% certain.
„All medical tests have the potential to be inaccurate,“ he said. Mary T. Gover, MD, an assistant professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and an internist at Montefiore Einstein Advanced Care in the Bronx, New York. “Either a false positive or a false negative can occur.”
the study The University of Minnesota professor points out that direct-to-consumer testing can also be opaque in terms of follow-up. The good news is that most people who undergo these tests understand the importance of reporting this information to their doctors.University of Michigan National poll on healthy aging It found that almost 50% of those surveyed (ages 40 to 80) used home testing. Additionally, 90% of those who purchased a cancer test brought their results to their health care provider, as did 55% of those who tested themselves for infectious diseases.
If your test result is positive, contact your doctor immediately to get retested and confirm the result. If the at-home test proves to be accurate, your doctor can begin the necessary treatment. And in some cases, it turns out that it was not actually a disease or disease after all.
„Studies have been done in patient populations who received a false-positive diagnosis of a disease, but it turned out that they did not actually have that disease,“ Gover said. „These patients subsequently reported increased concern about the condition. They didn't have it, but emotionally they felt like they had it.“
If this happens to you, talk to your doctor about your feelings. Having a „debrief“ as early as possible may help avoid this type of emotional impact.
Conclusion: Home testing can be a convenient and helpful step in the process of obtaining a confirmed medical diagnosis. However, for people who are truly concerned about the possibility of serious health problems, it may be best to leave the testing to a doctor. Professional care and advice is the best way to stay as safe and healthy as possible.