Home Tests - Benefits, Limitations & Application
Martina StuppyA home test, such as a home blood test, can provide you with important information. Blood reveals a lot about the state of health, more than almost any other body fluid. Blood is such a unique bodily fluid because the components of blood vary, sometimes significantly, from one person to another. The composition of the blood depends on numerous factors and changes almost constantly: This is exactly why the blood reveals so much about a person's individual health status.
A blood test at the doctor's is therefore a very important tool for arriving at a clear diagnosis for various complaints. Whether it is a question of vitamin deficiency, blood lipids, blood sugar levels or inflammatory markers: A closer look at the blood values ​​helps doctors to identify diseases and deficiencies and to initiate appropriate therapy.
Medical home tests such as blood tests are a useful part of preventive health care for anyone who wants to take an active role in their health.
What are the benefits of home blood testing?
The health awareness of German citizens has increased more and more in recent years. Healthy, balanced and varied eating habits as well as physical activity and sport are becoming increasingly important. In addition, the so-called "health tracking" is becoming more and more of a trend! Your own fitness and health are measured and continuously optimized. More and more people want to actively take their own health into their own hands to a certain extent.
For an analysis of such important internal values ​​- such as urine or blood values ​​- medical self-tests such as dried blood tests are becoming increasingly important. Rapid tests are convenient, easy to carry out at home and provide an initial result: this should be discussed with the doctor treating you in the next step. If further treatment measures are necessary, these can be discussed with the medical specialists.
The advantages of medical home tests at a glance
- Uncomplicated in handling and application
- Can be done comfortably from home, without visiting the doctor's office
- Dry blood tests in particular are painless and easy to perform
- Provide a good overview of your own health and important medical data.
What is the functional principle behind medical self-tests?
Medical home tests in your own four walls, for example, have become indispensable in diabetes mellitus control. However, a self-directed blood test also helps to gain an overview of important health parameters for many other areas of application.
The self-tests for at home - such as the dry blood test - are uncomplicated to use:
- Before starting the test, the instructions for use must be read carefully.
- The test must then be activated, for example in the test manufacturer's app. To do this, a test ID is entered into the app or a barcode is scanned.
- The sample is then mailed to the diagnostic laboratory free of charge on the same day in the prepaid return envelope provided.
- A certified, independent laboratory examines the sample with regard to the corresponding values. The laboratory partners meet the highest quality standards.
- The user then receives a personal result report as well as individually tailored recommendations for action. Some test creators also provide the individual findings in the app.
Home tests via blood analysis
There are different home tests to check certain values ​​as part of conscious health care. Body fluids such as urine, stool, saliva, blood or the air we breathe are analyzed for specific biomarkers.
In medicine, blood tests are among the most important diagnostic tools. For example, the blood contains meaningful biomarkers for vitamins, minerals and trace elements, but also for cholesterol levels or long-term blood sugar levels ( HbA1c value). Intolerances and allergies can also be determined using blood tests.
There are two methods of self-testing and quick tests using a blood analysis, either using fresh blood or dried blood.
- If fresh blood is needed, a small lancet is used to prick the fingertip. The required amount of blood is then taken and either placed in a sample roll or dripped onto a test kit.
Depending on the blood test, the result can be displayed directly (e.g. via a colour-changing scale) or the blood must be sent to a specialist laboratory for further tests and analyses.
- In the dried blood analysis, a few drops of blood are also taken from the fingertip and placed on a dried blood card. After this blood has dried on the card, it is sent by post to the specialized specialist laboratory. There the blood is removed from the filter card and prepared for further analysis.
What are the advantages of dried blood analysis?
In a conventional blood test at the doctor's, blood is often drawn from a vein. The blood must be cooled before it can be transported to the laboratory. Transporting fresh blood is also a bit more complicated. The dry blood card is much easier to use and can therefore be carried out at home without any problems. The dry blood card tolerates normal room temperature and can be stored for several days until it is sent to the specialist laboratory.
How reliable are self-tests and what needs to be considered?
A self-test such as a blood test to take at home cannot and should not replace a visit to the doctor!
A test in a medical specialist laboratory is always more reliable or meaningful than a self-test at home. Obtaining your own blood from the fingertip is a challenge for many users. In addition, incorrect use can quickly lead to false-positive or false-negative results. For example, if the fingertip is pressed too hard, additional tissue water can ensure that the blood is diluted too much and incorrect results are obtained. Difficulties can also arise when reading the results – for example color results. The correct application is therefore of crucial importance, not only with regard to the (blood) sample collection, but also with regard to the recommended time of day to carry it out.
For meaningful results, the transport times should also be kept as short as possible. Too much light or too high temperatures can falsify the results.
Self-tests and blood tests to do at home therefore provide a valuable indication of your own health. However, the measured values ​​should be discussed with the treating doctor in order to get a clear assessment for oneself and to evaluate the test results correctly. In close cooperation with doctors, blood and health tests for at home offer many opportunities.
