What Will Blood Testing Look Like In The Near Future?

The traditional process of blood draw is familiar to everyone. It typically involves visiting a healthcare facility where a professional, such as a nurse or phlebotomist, draws the blood. Patients then wait for results that are often challenging for non-professionals to interpret.  This analysis aims to explore how this universally recognized procedure has evolved recently and how it is expected to change in the next 5-10 years, especially in the context of digital health. Initially, blood draw was a purely manual process, requiring skilled professionals for both the drawing and the analysis. The procedure and equipment were standard, and the interpretation of results was limited to laboratory professionals. Let’s take a look at each element of the traditional process and see if/how it changes. 1. Going to the point of care facility Traditionally, the journey of blood testing begins with a trip to a point of care (POC) facility. This step, once considered indispensable, is undergoing a significant transformation due to the rise of at-home lab tests.  At-home lab tests represent a paradigm shift in the way blood testing is conducted. Initially, the idea of conducting complex tests outside of a professional healthcare setting was met with skepticism. The shift has been accelerated by various factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, when the need for social distancing and minimizing exposure to healthcare facilities supported alternative solutions. Ho...
Source: The Medical Futurist - Category: Information Technology Authors: Tags: TMF lab test blood draw Source Type: blogs