With at-home lab tests on the rise, patients do not need to go to a lab. The trend was sped up by the COVID-19 pandemic when point-of-care tests experienced a uniquely quick evolution, improving accuracy and gaining regulatory authorities’ approvals in record time. More companies nowadays offer different tests from the comfort of one’s home.
The American company Everlywell offers a range of at-home testing kits – from cholesterol tests to HIV tests. Each laboratory used to process a user’s samples is CLIA-certified, which means they must meet or exceed federal precision, accuracy, and validity standards. They also obtain state licensure and submit to regular inspections and independent third-party performance verifications. EverlyWell offers dried blood spot testing and other collection methods like saliva and urine. It also offers the Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Test, Thyroid Test, Trichomoniasis Test and Lyme Disease diagnostic test.
To obtain independent physician review of customer test requests and test results, Everlywell works with a third-party independent network of board-certified physicians who provide authorization, review and consultation services for customers related to their tests. A physician reviews lab requisition required for testing, and approves eligible orders. The same physician will also review the final test results when completed by the lab. Once the sample reaches the lab, results occur within 5 business days. Customers with positive STD test results and a positive screen for Lyme Disease may be offered a free consultation with a physician and a prescription for treatment where appropriate.
Any lab test that offers results from bodily fluids (from COVID tests through hormone markers to food intolerance measurements) falls into this trend. This futuristic healthcare innovation is the easiest to put into practice: having access to a wide range of analyses determining lab markers and blood results without the wait at the doctor’s, at the lab and without even meeting anyone. Patients who used to use at-home lab tests will probably never go back to the old habits. However, not every kind of sample can be obtained at home.
