For many years, people have had access to technology that allows them to check their blood pressure and blood sugar at home, either independently or in conjunction with a smartphone.
They have been able to successfully manage a chronic medical condition by making fewer visits to the clinic or doctor’s office as a result of this. Overall, these technologies have helped many people live longer, healthier lives.
Americans at risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD) will now have the same opportunity to monitor their kidney health from the comfort of their own homes, thanks to a new smartphone-enabled test that gained 510 (k) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in July.
The Minuteful Kidney test, developed by the Boston-based company Healthy.io, examines for albumin, a specific protein found in urine, using a smartphone camera.
Andrea Somerville, a Boston resident whose kidney function is monitored by her doctor, received a Minuteful Kidney test kit in the mail after her health insurer placed an order for one.
She said, “It was easy to do and really easy to upload everything to my phone so that the results could go to me and to my doctor,”.
She further said, “The other piece that’s nice. You find out the results right then and there, and it’s done in the privacy of your own home.”
The urine samples do not need to be sent to a laboratory for the Minuteful Kidney test. Furthermore, the test is compatible with a wide range of handsets, including iOS and Android.
Healthy.io’s US general manager, Paula LeClair, stated, “With a cell phone and an app, a person can complete this test in their own bathroom and on their own time, and actually get the result immediately on their cell phone.”
The researcher believes that since this test can be conducted at home using a smartphone, people in impoverished communities with limited access to healthcare can more readily evaluate their kidney function.
Several studies have found that those with lower socioeconomic status are more likely to have CKD, have less access to care, and have poorer results.
For the first time, the FDA has approved this smartphone-based test, commonly known as the albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 37 million Americans have CKD. Up to 90% of those affected by this disease are unaware of its existence.
Home-based testing can address a need by allowing people at risk of CKD to monitor their kidney health at home, according to Dr. Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh, chief of the Division of Nephrology, Kidney Transplantation, and Hypertension at UCI Health in Orange, California.
According to a study, this form of at-home testing can improve test compliance.
People who had the option of utilising the at-home kit were more likely to complete the ACR test than those who had to go to a clinical laboratory, according to study performed by Healthy.io and a health system in Pennsylvania.
According to a study, this form of at-home testing can improve test compliance.
People who had the option of utilising the at-home kit were more likely to complete the ACR
test than those who had to go to a clinical laboratory, according to study performed by
Healthy.io and a health system in Pennsylvania.