Written ByVictor Katch from Michigan Today
Thanks to Mary Jane F.
“Step right up folks,” crows the carnival barker lurking inside our smart devices.
“Now you can learn about your health from the comfort of your home without ever needing to see a doctor! Just send in a urine, saliva, or blood sample, and you’re on the path to knowing more about your health needs, your health outlook, and how to treat all of the hidden health issues you didn’t know you had. Could you have Lyme disease? Perhaps it’s HIV. Do your genes make you more likely to get late-onset Alzheimer’s? And hey, how’s your vitamin D? Cholesterol? Estrogen levels?”
DIY testing
With every passing day, more and more home-medical tests come online, all promising to look inside your body using advanced imaging and diagnostic techniques. Today, low-cost devices enclosed inside a watch can view blood flow and analyze internal cellular function using light sensors on the skin. There are devices that may predict the onset and severity of chronic diseases, and devices that promise to ward off diseases once considered fatal. The latest craze is the at-home genetic test that uses a small amount of blood or saliva to pinpoint your ancestry in order to predict potential diseases linked to your genetic makeup.
At-home medical testing represents a $25-billion market, and classifies into three main types:
- Self-tests: Allows the entire process to be conducted at home including sample collection and results.
- Self-collection tests: Involves taking a sample at home and sending it to a laboratory for analysis. Results are mailed back to you.
- Tests ordered from home: Sample collection and analyses are done in a laboratory, but a specially designed website streamlines scheduling and payment.
These DIY tests can range in cost from about $10 for strips to upwards of $200 for genetic testing. More than 50 single or in-combination medical tests can be done in the privacy of your home.