The California Initiative for the Advancement of Precision Medicine (CIAPM) is a national public entity formulated to ignite rational precision medicine research on popular diseases. It funded a study that applied microsampling techniques using Mitra® devices for blood sampling and remote monitoring.
Lifestyle choices such as smoking, poor nutrition, and physical inactivity increase the risk of IHD. This type of heart disease is the leading killer in the United States in men and women of all ethnicities. For those already diagnosed with the condition, secondary prevention is managed within clinical environments. It focuses on the control of cholesterol, blood pressure, and diabetes.
The risk calculator for atherosclerosis cardiovascular disease is one that helps predict cardiovascular events. It considers factors such as race, sex, age, blood cholesterol and pressure, smoking status, and diabetes. Such tests are only performed during hospital or clinic visits. The tests help to prevent disastrous situations, improve healthcare access, and lower resource utilization.
The PRE-MACE learning is aimed at evaluating feasibility regarding adherence and pilot remote monitoring with biosensors, and biomarkers. The study actively used patient-reported outcomes (PROs) to obtain continuous insight of participants in real-time situations.
The Mitra device with patented VAMS® technology has an absorbent polymeric tip that uptakes blood in a fixed volume (10 µL). This precision enhances sample heterogeneity and overcomes hematocrit bias challenges that are common with dried blood spot (DBS) collection. The study used automated email reminders or push notifications to remind participants to make their scheduled blood draws.
This study is just one of the numerous smarter healthcare practices being advanced by clinicians worldwide. Microsampling allows for volunteers to participate in clinical trials remotely and for longer periods. It makes the studies more flexible and convenient for both the clinicians and the study volunteers. Microsampling could be just what your research needs to get to the next level.
Image Credits: iStock, Trajan Scientific and Medical