Is an at home lab test right for you?
What is a do-it-yourself (DIY) at home lab test?
At home lab tests are health tests that you can do from the comfort and privacy of home, without making a doctor appointment or stepping into a lab. You simply follow instructions to collect your own sample of blood, urine, or saliva, and mail it to a lab for analysis.
At home lab tests are health tests that you can do from the comfort and privacy of home, without making a doctor appointment or stepping into a lab.
At home lab tests can test for the same health and wellness concerns as traditional in-lab tests, but it’s just done at your convenience–at home.
Not every lab test can be conducted at home; but, most of the basic wellness tests can safely and accurately be performed from home.
What can be tested on an at home lab test?
Thanks to great advancements in technology and changes in legislation, you can benefit from lots of different at-home lab tests, including:
- Wellness tests: Lipid Panel (Total Cholesterol, HDL (good) Cholesterol, LDL (bad) Cholesterol), Triglycerides, Inflammatory Marker hs-CRP, Blood Sugar A1C
- Hormone tests: Thyroid Test, Male and Female Hormones
- Cancer screenings: Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), Genetic Tests
- Special tests: Vitamin Levels, Food Sensitivity, Microbiome
- and more!
Who could benefit from an at home lab test?
Most people do not get the information they need to make informed personal health decisions, and an at home lab test is a great way to bridge that knowledge gap. Most at home lab test users are:
- Busy professionals or parents who have trouble finding time for health appointments
- People concerned about health care and lab costs
- Health nuts or “biohackers” who want to feel their best and optimize their health
If the lab test you need is available as an at home test kit, then choosing the do-it-yourself (DIY) route can take the hassle out of wellness lab testing so you can skip the trips to the doctor, the lab, back to the doctor, and more! No more confusion about how much you appointments and lab tests will cost is another perk!
How do at home lab tests work?
All offerings vary a bit, but generally you purchase a kit online or in a store, follow directions to collect your sample, and then mail it to a lab, as directed. It is important to pay close attention to test instructions, as some tests require fasting or specific dietary restrictions in advance of collection.
What should you look for when choosing an at home lab test?
Take some time to research your at home lab testing company. Your tests should be authorized by a physician, and your results should be delivered to you in a timely and private fashion. Make sure that your test provider partners with CAP and CLIA accredited labs so you can trust your results.
And, speaking of results, check out the sample lab result reports from your at home lab service provider. Because the results are coming straight to you (and not first to your doctor), the results need to be easy-to-understand and easy to access again over time. At Bloodscore, we are passionate about presenting results as trends so that people can have a better understanding of their health and wellness progress over time–not just at a point-in-time.
How can you find the right at home lab test?
If you know which test you are looking for, it’s easy to find a good at home option. It’s also helpful to start with a basic wellness assessment like the Bloodscore Health Check to get informed about your wellness status and then access any additional at home lab tests that might be helpful for you.
