Reading Time: 4 minutes The Rise of At-Home Lab Tests
This is a collaborative post by Monica about at-home lab tests.
The novel coronavirus has changed entire lifestyles, from the way we socialize to dining out to getting your lab tests done. COVID-19 has given a chance to telehealth to outshine conventional healthcare methods.
With technological assistance, at-home lab tests have become popularized as they are convenient to conduct by making it safe for patients to get tested from their homes. Apart from providing a greater degree of safety, at-home lab tests are private and quicker since there are no queues or waiting for your turn.
Increases in At-Home Lab Tests
How to conduct at-home lab tests
Recently, many new online telehealth services have been set up to provide medical facilities, such as lab tests, to patients at home. Using the online applications of healthcare providers, patients can schedule their lab tests at home or even directly contact the facility to get it done. This is highly beneficial for the elderly who find it difficult to visit a lab and wait to get tested.
Moreover, you are more relaxed and comfortable in your own house since it is more hygienic than a lab. Cura4U is one such platform that provides access to telemedicine facilities like scheduling lab tests at home or a center and providing online consultations with doctors.
Why are at-home lab tests on the rise?
Even though the concept of getting lab tests done at home is not new, it is becoming a growing trend amongst people. Most of these developments have taken place during the era of the novel coronavirus, in which people prefer to remain indoors and not visit any public spaces. Apart from COVID-19, people have grown accustomed to availing facilities at home from groceries to dinner, as everything can now be delivered to your home.
Similarly, medical facilities are now also available at your doorstep, from delivering medicines to getting your lab tests conducted at home. Cura4U has also made it possible for patients to store their lab results and medical history online so doctors can have access to them at all times and secure them for future purposes. When people can avail all services while staying at home, why should they have to step out to get some tests done?
Are at-home lab tests reliable?
Another type of at-home lab test combines the expertise of a professional medical service such as Drip Hydration with the convenience of Covid testing at home. A registered nurse comes to your home to administer your Covid-19 test, process the sample, and explain your results to you, just like an in-person testing site.
Similar to getting your lab tests done directly at a facility, at-home lab tests are reliable. The physician or doctor conducting the test will secure the sample and send it to their labs for results. These results will be as accurate as regular test results since there is no discrepancy in testing.
In fact, people getting their tests done at home will see more efficiency in their tests and results since they will be prioritized over others.
Concerns related to at-home lab tests
Even though lab tests conducted at home have provided a lot of ease to patients, there are still some concerns that people have regarding them. Even though a stranger coming in to conduct a few tests is normal, people might be concerned about the contamination of their houses. This can cause a serious issue during COVID-19.
Quite a lot of people dislike the concept of lab tests at home since they believe that not all medical facilities and equipment would be present or would be infected from prior use. However, facilities allowing lab tests at home are taking special precautions by using sterilized equipment for each patient.
Moreover, some people think that not all tests can be carried out at home since some tests require proper equipment, which may be difficult to transport to different places. Hence, patients would need to visit the test center physically to get those tests done. Nonetheless, technology has become quite advanced in this area by providing solutions such as portable machines for carrying out tests.
Future of at-home lab tests
Despite them being a new trend, lab tests at home have gained a lot of popularity. In a fast-paced world, people have little time to go out for lab tests, so they prefer them to be done at home.
Since the coronavirus spread and those restricted to their houses had to get certain tests done, lab tests at home were marketed heavily. The popularity of at-home lab tests has been on the rise since then. However, the future of this concept is still uncertain.
Even though telemedicine is a convenient option, and using platforms like Cura4U to get medical appointments is much easier than the traditional method, people still prefer the old way. Many people refrain from this option due to different insurance policies regarding telemedicine coverage but recent developments in telemedicine laws have ensured that people face no discrepancy in payments.
If lab tests at home are developed further and improved in the aspects of equipment and mobility, there are higher chances of them becoming a regular part of the healthcare system.
Rachel is an Austin blogger, educator, mom, wife, young breast cancer survivor writing about health, saving money, and living a happy life in Austin, Texas.
Rachel has written for HuffPost and Hometalk and has been featured on KXAN, Studio 512, Fox 7 Austin, and CBS Austin.