Many times a medical test at home gives false positive results. Still, these temptations are attractive for their comfort and convenience. Do you want to avoid a colonoscopy or check if you have thyroid disease or high blood sugar? You can swipe, stick, grind and draw your way to important health information from the comfort of your home. But they cannot interpret the results or get reliable readings, doctors say.
Many Americans, especially older Americans, are still using them. of National Opinion on Healthy Aging A recent study by the University of Michigan found that three out of four adults between the ages of 50 and 80 say home screenings are more convenient than going to a doctor or health care provider.
Matthew Weissman, a professor of internal medicine and pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, said at-home testing has become more convenient as more people get tested for the coronavirus during the pandemic. But checking for other conditions is often more complicated.
“It’s great to save on office visits,” Weissman said. “For the most part, though, it still requires a doctor’s intervention” to help prescribe medication or interpret information.
Michael Hochman, MD, an internist in Long Beach, Calif., said at-home testing could be especially helpful for the thousands of Americans who can’t afford to see a doctor.
Whether it’s through telemedicine or not, home testing is most effective when done with your doctor’s expertise, Pochapin said. “You have to tell your doctor, ‘I’m thinking about getting this test. Is it appropriate?’
But that may not be happening. According to Jeffrey T. Kullgren, director of the National Poll on Healthy Aging at the University of Michigan, only 55 percent of those who buy and use a home diagnostic test share the results with their primary care provider. “This suggests that older adults are using these tests as a substitute for doctor visits,” Kuhlgren said.
Many home tests can be purchased online or at your local drug store. Few are covered by insurance. We asked doctors about the effectiveness of some common tests:
1
Urinary tract infection
Method: On a plate (or dip a strip in a cup and urine).
CostAround $11 (not covered by insurance).
What you need to know: “They’re basically testing things that are associated with UTIs, like nitrates and leukocyte esterases,” says Evan Grunberger, M.D., director of the urologic strategic initiative at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.
Who is it better for? “It’s not a bad idea for people who get frequent infections, who are aware of their symptoms and who have taken antibiotics in the past to get tested at home and then go to their doctor.”
methodAfter urinating on the test strip for five consecutive days, report your results to the app, which collects other data from you. Log in to receive results.
Cost: About $20 (not covered by insurance).
What you need to know: Menopause tests promise to tell users if they are in perimenopause, the stage before menopause. Manufacturers say that the product promotes communication between the user and the doctor, but most doctors say that there is no connection between urine hormone levels and symptoms.
Who is it better for? Many doctors say the tests aren’t useful for most women. “This single test doesn’t diagnose you,” says Asima Ahmed, CEO of Carrot Fertility and founder of the International Fertility Benefits Forum. “It’s important to look at all the factors and review these results with a menopausal specialist or someone who cares for women during menopause.”
method: Collect a stool sample. You will need to send the DNA changes and small amounts of blood in the stool to a laboratory for a fecal DNA test called Cologard. The results will take about two weeks. such as a fecal immunoassay (FIT) Second generation, sees hidden blood in the stool. All it takes is collecting a stool sample and adding a solution, and you’ll have results in minutes.
CostA FIT test can cost anywhere from $30 to $120, and is sometimes covered by insurance. Cologuard’s $500 test is covered by most insurance, but must be ordered by your doctor and may require a co-pay or deductible. Some private insurance covers both home tests, but if you have a positive result; Your follow-up colonoscopy may not be covered Because insurance considers home tests a screening process.
What you need to know: “When patients want to have these tests done, I explain to them that there is a chance of this being a false positive,” Pochapin said, adding that the tests detect blood in the stool, which can be caused by diseases other than cancer. “So if it’s positive, it doesn’t mean you have cancer.”
Who is it better for? Pochapin added that the tests were of healthy individuals who did not show any symptoms. Do not use a home test if you have rectal bleeding; Instead, consult your doctor immediately.
method: Prick your finger to collect blood and send it to a lab to get the results, which takes two weeks.
Cost$49 to $150. Some insurance plans pay.
What you need to know: The accuracy of the tests may not be as reliable as the ones you get at your doctor’s office. The result should be interpreted correctly. “A1C is a three-month average blood sugar — and if someone’s testing, say weekly or monthly or daily, and not knowing that those spikes are not something you should use to guide your management,” says Michael B. Nutter, M.D., an endocrinologist at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, it could be harmful or fatal. .
Who is it better for? If you have diabetes, this can be a useful tool for monitoring your blood sugar, but you should not change your insulin or diabetes without consulting a doctor.
method: Depending on the kit you buy, you can go to a lab to draw blood and get electronic results through an app, or you can prick your finger and collect blood sent to the lab.
CostIt varies from $50 to $500 depending on how many allergens they measure. Insurance usually does not pay.
What you need to know: “Allergy tests have a high rate of false positives,” says Eric M. Macy, M.D., MD, an Allergist, Asthma & Immunology, and Allergist at Kaiser Permanente Southern California. “Then one spends time, effort and money trying to avoid unnecessary allergens.”
Who is it better for? You can use the test for a specific allergen, such as cat dander, Massey said. But, he adds, “You can also tell if you’re allergic to cats easily and more expensively and more accurately by petting your cat and then rubbing your eyes or nose.” The sources are cat saliva.
methodPrick your finger to send blood to the lab for about a week. Most of these tests examine several biomarkers associated with thyroid disease.
Cost: In Care Of 21 dollars to the 235 dollars. It is typically not covered by insurance.
What you need to know: “I don’t know if I trust him,” Nutter said. “I think it’s a little premature. If patients feel emboldened to self-administer, it opens the door slightly to harm, which can lead to overuse and carelessness.
Who is it better for? “If you don’t know what your biochemical status is, in terms of your TSH or your free T4, it can be helpful to get that at home,” Natter said. But it should be with the health care provider to make the next management decisions based on that information.
The FDA has created List of safe medical tests at home, but doctors still recommend caution. Donald Karcher, president of the College of American Pathologists and professor of pathology, said that while home testing is useful and convenient, it’s important to keep in mind many variables, including the laboratory that performs the test, that affect the quality of the results. George Washington University Medical Center.
It is important to follow the instructions exactly as written, and to ensure that you collect the sample correctly. “Not every indoor test is equal,” Karcher said.