Comfort matters: evaluating preferences for Non-Invasive diabetes testing over conventional blood tests

Evaluating comfort during traditional Diabetes Mellitus (DM) testing through blood collection versus non-invasive methods among individuals with and without DM and identifying personal characteristics influencing distress.

This cross-sectional, observational study included 232 participants whose comfort levels were assessed using ten Likert scale questions. Participants were evaluated during traditional diabetes screening involving blood drawings and non-invasive screening methods. Anthropometrics, demographics, medical history, and HbA1c were also recorded. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to identify factors contributing to participant comfort during traditional and non-invasive diabetes testing.

Two factors accounted for 57.59% of the variation, χ2(n = 232) = 917.55 (p < 0.001). Six questions were assigned to the Medical Testing Comfort (MTC) factor with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.876. The MTC questions assessed comfort during the typical diabetes testing procedures available in most developing countries worldwide. Lower MTC scores indicate greater discomfort during conventional tests and a preference for non-invasives. Non-invasive testing was preferred by 84.1 ± 1.5% of all participants, while those without a previous DM diagnosis were three times less likely to choose conventional testing. All children and adults without previous blood test experience preferred non-invasives. Joint mobility measurements were the preferred non-invasive method (98.7 ± 0.5%), followed by skin photography (96.1 ± 0.3%).

Our findings highlight the importance of patient comfort in diabetes care, emphasizing the preference for non-invasive testing to enhance detection and management. The MTC scale's findings suggest revising DM testing protocols may expand surveillance, enhance healthcare experiences and improve outcomes.