Home Health Tests – Beyond COVID

Home tests got new respect during COVID;  there are now many new tests for different conditions.  But there’s one important step many seniors miss. 

Pre-pandemic, who would have thought we’d have spent so much time swabbing our nostrils at home and setting the timer to be sure our runny noses, coughs and fatigue weren’t COVID-19? Home tests got new respect—due to convenience, reliability, and being much speedier than schlepping to your doctor’s office or urgent care.

Home Health Tests on the Rise

While current demand for home COVID tests may not be what it was, demand for numerous others is, according to Brent Smith, MD, a family physician in Greenville, MS and a board member of the American Academy of Family Physicians.  What’s hot now? These days, his patients are likely to ask him about at-home A1C tests to check blood glucose levels, home lipid tests to see if that bad (LDL) cholesterol is behaving and hormone level tests to check testosterone, estrogen and cortisol, he says.

The options go far beyond that. You can also test at home for colon cancer, paternity, sexually transmitted diseases, thyroid levels, food sensitivity, vitamin D levels and your risk of Alzheimer’s, just to name a few options. Some are $49; others cost more than $200.

How Popular Is Home Testing?

The at-home medical test market, valued at about $16 billion in 2021, is predicted to grow to $45 billion by 2031.

When University of Michigan researchers polled a sample of adults ages 50 to 80, about half—48%–had ever bought an at-home test. White and Hispanic older adults were more likely than black older adults to have bought at-home tests (30% vs. 29% vs. 16%).

But Are They Expert Advice?

Smith sees a role for home tests—as long as you keep your doctor in the loop. “Our job is to know which tests to order, and what we are going to do with that test [in terms of treatment decisions] and how it applies to an individual.’’

Home cholesterol tests are a good example of why it’s important to personalize the results and to keep your doctor in the loop, Smith says. “For the last two generations, we’ve preached cholesterol as an important number to look at,” he says.

A cholesterol test result may say ‘normal’ and your doctor may say ‘No, it needs to be lower.

However, the “ideal” cholesterol level of a patient depends on many factors. “A person with diabetes and heart disease has a much lower cholesterol goal than a healthy person without those risk factors. So a cholesterol test result may say ‘normal’ and your doctor may say ‘No, it needs to be lower,’’’ Smith says.

Hormone tests to check levels of cortisol can estimate how much stress  your body is under, but taking them correctly can be tricky.  “Timing of a cortisol test is as important as how you collect [the sample] or when you collect it,” Smith says. Those factors can affect the results.

In the University of Michigan poll, 92% of the adults ages 50 to 80 polled thought at-home medical tests should be discussed with their doctor, yet many did not share their test results with their doctor.

Smith sees economic hazards, too. While COVID tests were free for a time, they aren’t now, and most home medical tests are not covered by insurance.

Pre-Purchase Research

To find FDA-approved home and lab tests, know the test name and the manufacturer and search  the Database of In Vitro Diagnostic (IVD) Tests.

The FDA also offers these suggestions for how to best use home medical tests.

More information is here.

YOUR TURN

Have you used home health tests?  Share your thoughts in the comments!

Kathleen Doheny is a Los Angeles-based independent journalist, specializing in health, behavior, fitness and lifestyle stories. Besides writing for Senior Planet, she reports for WebMD, Medscape, MedCentral and other sites.  She is a mom, mother-in-law and proud and happy Mimi who likes to hike, jog and shop.
Doheny photo: Shaun Newton

 

This article offered by Senior Planet and Older Adults Technology Services is for informational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding any medical condition. If you think you may have a medical emergency call 911 immediately.