Healthcare has increasingly become more accessible for patients in their own home. With services like telehealth and health portals, patients no longer have to sit in waiting rooms exposing themselves and others to germs as they receive doctor recommendations, access to test results and prescriptions refills, etc.
Better yet, what if you’re interested in finding more about your ancestry and the genetic conditions or diseases that run through your family? With the latest craze of at-home DNA testing from brands like 23andMe and Ancestry, patients are willing to send their genetic code in the mail to better understand their health and take preventative measures. Gartner CEB Iconoculture even noted that a majority of consumers are now equally more interested in learning about their personal biology than ever before. This audience believes that results are accurate and can help them better navigate health.
Maybe you need to test your fertility? Sperm quality? Yes, there are even tests for that. But, will this at-home testing extend to other areas of our health? It appears that way.
In early March of 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first at-home cancer test. The do-it-yourself test will look for three BRCA gene mutations associated with breast, ovarian and prostate cancer. Results could help health care providers better prescribe treatment methods based on patients’ genetic makeup.
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