At-Home Testing: An Inflection Point for Adoption and Utility

Let me start with an obvious statement: COVID-19 forever changed how things run. You can get your favorite food delivered straight to your door, so why not your healthcare?

I recently spoke at the Next Generation Dx Summit in Washington, D.C. My presentation was about at-home testing, which included the at-home collection of clinical samples to be mailed to clinical laboratories and point-of-care devices in the home.

People have grown accustomed to this new way of life, and the data reflects that. Sixty-two percent of consumers are more likely to use virtual visits if they don’t need a physical examination. And, 40% of consumers reported having used virtual visits with their doctor or provider in the last 12 months.

Financially, it makes sense that consumers would take to an at-home model compared to the traditional point-of-care testing model. For example, a study in Health Affairs revealed that telehealth visits are about half the cost of a traditional in-office visit.

Even when it comes to the quality and accuracy of treatment between at-home and in-person care, studies show it’s just as effective – and can even improve health outcomes. In fact, virtual visits produced 11% fewer-than-expected follow-up visits for acute care conditions compared to receiving the same services in a traditional office setting. At-home collection programs can help build telehealth consults into more robust programs.

This brings me to my next point: accessibility is at the core of what we do at Everly Health. We believe in meeting people wherever they are: in the home, in the car – wherever is most convenient. The added layer of privacy for at-home test kits seems to be an important driving factor in their rising popularity, as well as the accessibility for those who may lack transportation to travel to a lab or live in healthcare deserts. It also provides a unique avenue for patients who have historically not met screening recommendations to be proactive about their health statuses without leaving home.

We cannot continue to manage healthcare virtually without a large emphasis on at-home testing and utilizing data points from clinical laboratories. Seventy percent of medical decisions depend on lab test results, showing how vital modern, diagnostic-driven care is in our healthcare system.

As an example, Livongo and a few other diabetes-management programs offer devices that measure blood glucose, blood pressure, and more. What’s remarkable is that the devices transmit the data to the company or the healthcare provider, which improves the monitoring of conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. Patients have been doing this at home for years, but it can now be integrated with their healthcare providers.

Beyond the existing, and very few over-the-counter tests today the pandemic represented the largest real-world data/experience in at-home testing training and competency. Billions of tests and billions of results performed by patients in their homes, with remarkable results. This has simply lowered the barrier for more at-home diagnostics to make the leap into the over-the-counter space. At-home resulting is currently akin to an untapped resource in terms of what is possible–anything could come onto the market next. 

We are currently at the forefront of a new era of home healthcare. It’s essential that it provides a convenient, high-quality level of care. My advice? Embrace this movement with open arms. The integration of at-home collection and resulting into the booming branch of telehealth and traditional healthcare will improve accessibility and compliance for patients, with the added benefit of reducing the care burden of healthcare providers.