Using a home medical test may feel like a doctor, but it shouldn’t. Even before the pandemic turned nasal swabs into an art form, many Americans were interested in everything from knowing their cholesterol and hormone levels to finding out if they were pregnant or had sleep apnea. I had purchased a direct-to-consumer test to assess the problem.
according to 2022 National Poll on Healthy AgingA study conducted by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Health Care Policy and Innovation in partnership with AARP found that nearly half of the seniors surveyed had purchased at least one home health check, and the majority (82%) ) say they are willing to implement. So in the future. It’s easy to see why.
“These tests are often more convenient than making a traditional healthcare appointment and can be done in the privacy of your own home,” said director of the National Poll on Healthy Aging, Research and Innovation. said Jeffrey Krugren, M.D., associate director of Department of General Medicine, University of Michigan. Furthermore, “advancements in technology have made it possible to test for more conditions and risk factors at home.”
Convenience is of course excellent, and technological improvements are the key. But are home tests reliable? The answer to that question can be found in the fine print inside the package – let’s face it – nobody likes to read.
Indira Venkat, senior vice president of AARP Research, said:
Reading the label is not the only way to find out if a particular test is regulated by the FDA. Also, ask your pharmacist, contact the test manufacturer, FDA’s online database of approved home testing. (FDA-approved COVID-19 test listed here.)
Whichever method you choose, keep that in mind. Even if he gets the green light from the FDA, he has no problem bypassing his healthcare provider.
“Discuss home testing with your doctor or health care provider beforehand,” says Krugren. It may be the quickest and most effective way to identify risks and new causes of symptoms.”
The same goes for sharing the results of your at-home tests. Those “should be discussed with your provider to determine if additional testing or treatment may be required,” says Kullgren.
The overwhelming majority of adults who responded to the poll agreed with all of the above in theory, but not necessarily in practice. Case in point: Those who used cancer-related home tests over 90 % said they shared their results with their healthcare provider, but just over half of those who used non-COVID home tests. -19 infections — such as HIV and urinary tract infections — shared the results with their doctors.
