How Custom Health Test Kits Improve Patient Satisfaction and Loyalty

Personalization and customization are valuable commodities as products and services become more remote, distanced, self-service, and AI-driven. This is why custom at-home health tests are growing in popularity in the healthcare space and various other health and wellness markets. Within the health industry, these tests can impact critical areas like patient satisfaction and loyalty through powerful personalized health insights and better patient-provider connections. These patients, in turn, feel more empowered to participate in their care, ultimately leading to better health outcomes and higher patient retention.

Understanding at-home health tests

At-home health tests, also known as home health testing or self-testing, refer to medical diagnostic or screening tests in which patient samples can be self-collected by individuals in the comfort of their homes without direct involvement from healthcare professionals. Sample collection is typically in the form of either blood or urine. Blood tests may involve a finger prick to collect a small blood sample that can be analyzed for various markers such as blood glucose levels, cholesterol, micronutrients, certain infections and more. Urine samples often assess health aspects like pregnancy, urinary tract infections (UTIs), sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or kidney function.     

At-home health tests are not new; they've been a regular staple since the 1970s when home pregnancy tests hit the market.¹ Since then, other convenient self-tests have arrived, like the blood glucose monitor in the 1980s and COVID-19 tests in 2020.² More complicated at-home tests, which require samples to go to labs for analysis, have evolved too. 

Test development

At-home testing has come a long way since the 1970s, particularly with recent technological advancements. Devices and testing equipment have become smaller and more user-friendly, increasing portability and remote abilities. Improvements to biomarker detection methods and analysis capabilities have enhanced the accuracy and reliability of at-home tests. Plus, as tests have developed, so have regulatory approvals and standards to ensure the safety and efficacy of tests, which have boosted consumer confidence.

Other remote test elements have become possible thanks to the internet and connections between medical devices and digital platforms. Smart devices and other wearable technology make it easier for health data to be collected and analyzed, and at-home tests can integrate with these digital ecosystems to provide even more comprehensive health metrics and trends. 

Most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of continuing to develop accessible and rapid testing that can be paired with services like telemedicine to improve our remote care abilities. 

New capabilities

At-home tests have become increasingly customizable to individual patient needs and health conditions by providing a diverse range of biomarker panels. To cover such a wide variety of health conditions and parameters, different types of test kits are available, for example:³

• Genetic tests provide insights into ancestry, inherited traits or potential risk factors for genetic conditions.
• Hormone tests help individuals understand their fertility, thyroid function or menopause status.
• Pathogen detection tests are available to check for the presence of specific pathogens, like viruses or bacteria.
• Allergy tests can identify users' allergic reactions to specific substances.
• Cancer screening tests exist to assist with the early detection of certain cancers, like the PSA test (Prostate Specific Antigen), which screens for prostate cancer.

As the focus on preventive healthcare technologies and services continues to grow,⁴ even more test options are becoming available, many focusing on achieving better nutrition or physical fitness with strategic biomarker selections. The increase in biomarker variety increases the possibilities for customizable at-home tests and potential benefits for patients. For example, see imaware’s biomarker menu.

Patient benefits

At-home health tests provide patients with enhanced accessibility and engagement.  

When asked about the primary benefit of virtual care, 79% of individuals responded with convenience.⁵ However, there are other benefits of conducting health tests from home. For example, patients may have geographical barriers or mobility limitations, which reduce their ability to reach testing facilities. Time limitations are another barrier, with many individuals citing their reason for delaying care as the inability to take time away from other responsibilities.⁶ In addition to accessibility, testing from home provides an invaluable level of privacy. At-home tests can help reduce feelings of anxiety or stress associated with going into a lab or a similar medical facility. These tests provide a feasible solution for many individuals with restrictions.

Let's not forget that accessibility can go hand in hand with patient engagement, an integral part of healthcare.⁷ According to a report by the Harris Poll, 31% of respondents feel that the healthcare system fails them by taking too long to get an appointment,⁸ resulting in many individuals delaying or avoiding critical health testing altogether. Within the same report, more than 61% of adults reported seeking care only when sick, and 44% skipped or delayed care within the last two years.⁹ Health should not be on the back burner, which is why custom at-home testing is a critical element in increasing patient care engagement.

Boosting patient satisfaction

Beyond better accessibility to testing and patient engagement, at-home testing boosts patient satisfaction by providing more options to suit individual needs. Patients want prompt healthcare tailored to their preferences, and custom testing accommodates this expectation by delivering flexible diagnostic and monitoring solutions.

Patient satisfaction rates benefit from patients having a stronger sense of control regarding what is assessed. With many patients now prioritizing preventative healthcare measures, at-home tests provide an important new avenue for specialized assessments. According to the previously mentioned Harris Poll, 19% of respondents said the health system had failed them due to its lack of focus on prevention and wellness¹⁰ — it is estimated that only 2-5% of patients in need of support in areas of weight loss, diet and exercise receive the assistance they require.¹¹ Companies are now working to fill this gap, providing such services as personalized nutrition or fitness with the help of at-home biomarker testing kits. 

Proactive health testing can help patients identify health risks earlier, implement preventative measures and manage chronic conditions. Did you know that around 60% of adults in America have one chronic disease?¹² Many chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer can be screened for with custom at-home tests, which enable patients to identify their risk and whether interventions are required to prevent worsening results.

In an age of instant access, individuals have grown accustomed to fast and reliable personalized products and services. Custom tests meet these expectations and drive satisfaction rates even further by providing timely data-driven insights that do not require frequent clinic visits. 

High patient satisfaction leads to patient loyalty.

Fostering loyalty

Patients want to be loyal to a healthcare provider; 71% of survey respondents desire a stronger relationship with their healthcare provider, and 67% believe their health would benefit from having a regular provider they trust.¹³ Beyond high satisfaction rates, fostering a robust patient-provider bond is the key to building loyalty, and custom health testing can help do just that.

Cultivating patient loyalty through stable relationships starts by viewing patients as complete individuals with unique circumstances — around 64% of patients wish their provider took more time to understand them.¹⁴ Custom health tests help providers understand their patients by supplying insightful data that enables them to create a more holistic health plan.

The patient health data also increases the patient's comprehension of their health by being personal and relevant. This greater understanding fosters stronger communication between patients and providers and helps set more realistic expectations for the patient journey. Better informed conversations between patients and providers can lead to more productive appointments and higher adherence,¹⁵¹⁶ thereby improving health outcomes, reducing potential care costs in the future and upgrading the patient experience.¹⁷

Custom health kits have even helped make precision medicine available as treatments can now be based on patient genetics, lifestyle and other unique factors. With these insights, providers can pinpoint areas of concern or risk and design targeted interventions — ideally leading to more efficient and successful patient care programs, further reinforcing patient satisfaction and loyalty.

Challenges to consider

There are some challenges to consider when implementing health tests, such as reliability and data interpretation. At-home tests must undergo rigorous quality control assessments, meet stringent regulation standards and have physician-reviewed results to reduce potential errors. Services should also have the highest privacy and data security level to ensure patient information is safe and secure.  

Additionally, it is essential to understand that not everything can be tested thoroughly from home (yet). Patients must be aware that at-home testing cannot replace a healthcare provider entirely. These tests should instead be used to enhance the healthcare experience by providing additional information. 

Building a sophisticated testing infrastructure may not be possible for many providers and businesses that could benefit from these capabilities. This is where imaware comes in. 

Imaware is an at-home health testing company that provides partners with custom biomarker panels and testing solutions they can integrate into their system without worrying about logistics. Want to learn more about partnering with imaware? Connect here.

The future of custom health tests

Patient satisfaction and loyalty rates will continue to benefit as at-home testing transforms health delivery while empowering individuals to take control of their health.

Patients and providers will gain numerous health insights as more biomarkers become available and wearable monitoring abilities grow. These capabilities will hopefully improve early disease detection rates and global health access. Advancements in AI have the potential to assist individuals in interpreting their test results while providing educational services and specialized solutions. Increased capabilities and AI services will help healthcare services build beyond the traditional model, venturing further into wellness strategies that boost prevention efforts. 

Advanced accuracy, comprehensive testing, smart integrations, user-friendly interfaces, fast results and enhanced support are just the beginning. The future of custom at-home testing is endless. 

Summary

The rise of personalization and customization trends extends to healthcare through custom at-home health tests. These kits, gaining traction in health and wellness sectors, promise to enhance the patient journey with technological advancements, like improved biomarker detection and integration with digital platforms. Custom health kits can significantly impact patient satisfaction and loyalty by encouraging active engagement in healthcare, fostering trust and compliance with treatments and building better communication between patients and healthcare professionals. 

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