Did you know? You can draw your own blood at home

There is now an easier way to engage people in taking a more active role in clinical trials and health care. New innovations in remote or at-home blood collection have helped drive a growing trend towards telehealth, decentralized clinical trials, and patient-centric medicine. 

Healthcare providers who need to monitor patients on a frequent basis, or clinical trial managers who want to recruit participants in remote locations can now use remote blood collection tools and digital technologies that allow them to conduct virtual check-ins with trial recruits or patients.

At-home blood collection with user-friendly home kits is a helpful tool for "going virtual" with patient monitoring and remote or decentralized clinical trials.

Why Choose At-Home Kits? 

Convenience & Savings: With at-home kits, there is no need for a nurse, phlebotomist or other professional to collect blood samples for the lab. Microsampling devices packaged in at-home blood collection kits are now available. Researchers and care providers can mail the kits to their study cohorts or patients to facilitate patient-directed monitoring at home. When paired with telecommunications, these kits support virtual health check-ups.

For example, the at-home Mitra Blood Collection Kit can be used by virtually anyone to collect their own blood specimen using a quick finger-stick. They can mail the specimen back to their provider or to a designated lab for analysis.

Efficiency & Accessibility: At-home specimen collection saves patients and clinical trial participants unnecessary travel to the clinic, trial site or lab. This remote sampling option is more convenient and less stressful for end-users, and also helps the research and healthcare industries to minimize costs.

Many Labs Are Leading the Shift to Home Sampling

Many laboratories now champion an industry shift to remote blood sampling by providing microsample analysis and related services. For example, patients who are undergoing Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) for conditions like Rheumatoid Arthritis, may receive kits at home for collecting their own blood samples. They can mail their samples directly to the lab for analysis as an alternative to traditional lab visits for blood draws.

In areas of the world where home kits are approved by health and regulatory agencies, the trend towards home sampling to monitor health is accelerating. Many remote health and wellness kits are now available online, offering health consumers a streamlined process, from ordering the kit they need to sample shipment.

In Europe and the United Kingdom, remote specimen collection that can be managed by individuals at home has become an effective means of enhancing quality and lowering costs, so more labs are launching these services. Many labs and health programs are offering at-home blood sampling kits for patients who have had organ transplants, or for those undergoing Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) for different types of arthritis.

The collection kit allows patients who are taking therapeutic drugs to perform finger-stick blood collection at home and mail their specimens to the lab. This at-home option is a welcome alternative for patients who would otherwise have to visit a lab or clinic for blood draws, and risk exposure to germs in a facility.

Advances in technology have led to the development of improved home specimen collection using the Mitra Microsample Collection Kit. It is used by research scientists conducting studies and healthcare professionals conducting clinical trials or public health surveys. These professionals can distribute the Mitra kits to their patients or study participants for remote collection and shipping from anywhere.

Advantages of Mitra Blood Collection Kits for Finger-stick Sampling:

• Minimized Blood Volume: Uses a few drops of blood from a fingertip – significantly less blood than venous methods.
  
  
• Enhanced Accessibility: Easier and faster than finding a vein in the arm, especially in challenging populations like children or the elderly.
  
  
• Data Reliability: Offers results that correlate to results from traditional venous sampling.
  
  
• User-Friendliness: Minimal training required, with clear instructions provided.
  
  
• Geographical Flexibility: Facilitates blood sample collection and mail-ins from remote locations.
  
  
• Comfort & Simplicity: A less invasive and stressful procedure using a quick finger-stick.
  
  
• Clinical Trials: Boosts participant recruitment numbers and diversity across wider geographic areas due to the convenience of remote participation.

Guided Procedure: Using the Mitra^® microsampling device:

1. Ensure hands are clean, dry and warm.
2. Use the provided lancet to prick a fingertip, preferably on the side.
3. Squeeze the finger to stimulate blood flow.
4. Position the Mitra device above finger and lower it to absorb the blood drop on its tip.
5. Close the Mitra samplers inside the device housing before shipping.

The Mitra Sample Collection Kit has simple packaging, easy instructions and provides a straightforward method of blood collection, making it convenient for anyone to use anywhere.

Image Credits: Trajan, Neoteryx, Shutterstock