Self-performed Rh typing: a cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Medical Diagnostics
• Hematology
• Point-of-Care Testing

Background:

• Determining Rh status is crucial for pregnancy management.
• Current methods may require clinical settings, limiting accessibility.
• Patient self-testing offers a potential alternative for Rh typing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess patient capability and willingness to self-administer and interpret the EldonCard test for Rh status.
• To compare patient and clinician interpretation of EldonCard results against electronic health records (EHR).
• To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of patient-performed Rh typing.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 330 pregnancy-capable individuals (aged 14-50) in Honolulu, HI.
• Participants independently performed EldonCard testing and interpreted their Rh type.
• Comparison of participant, blinded clinician, and EHR Rh type interpretations; participant surveys on comfort and ease of use.

Main Results:

• 288 participants completed testing; 94.0% agreement between patient and clinician EldonCard interpretation.
• Patient interpretation showed 83.5% agreement with EHR; clinician interpretation showed 92.3% agreement.
• High participant-reported ease (94.4%) and comfort (93.7%) with EldonCard testing, though lower education correlated with less confidence.

Conclusions:

• Patient-performed EldonCard Rh typing is effective and acceptable.
• The EldonCard can serve as a primary screening test for Rh status.
• Self-administered Rh typing demonstrates high sensitivity and good specificity.