Implementation of a Capillary Blood Self-Sampling Technique at Home for Monitoring of Patients With IBD

Remote healthcare aims to improve the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients by reducing hospital visits. This is the first study to assess capillary blood sampling at home for routine measurement of chemistry parameters and complete blood count parameters at several time points for disease monitoring in IBD patients.

In this prospective, single-center proof-of-concept study, 27 patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis and an indication for frequent blood monitoring performed capillary blood sampling in the hospital (time point 0 [T0]) and at 2 time points at home (T1 and T2). A successful at home sampling was defined as a blood sample that was (1) transported in <48 hours, (2) of sufficient quality, and (3) a sufficient volume.

A total of 21 patients completed the study (mean age 31 years; 69% Crohn's disease, 31% ulcerative colitis). Seventeen (81%) out of 21 and 20 (95%) out of 21 blood samples were successfully analyzed, at T1 (between 2 and 6 weeks after T0) and T2 (between 6 and 12 weeks after T0), respectively. At T2, 12 (57%) out of 21 patients preferred capillary blood sampling at home over venous sampling at the hospital. Younger patients expressed higher satisfaction rates. Fifteen (71%) out of 21 patients reported a better performance with blood sampling at T2 compared with T1.

This study shows a high success rate for capillary blood sampling at home for routine disease monitoring in IBD patients. Device optimization and identification of patient preferences are needed to effectively integrate blood sampling at home in remote monitoring of IBD patients.