An Evaluation of an Absorption Spectroscopy Based Non-invasive Technology (EzeCheck) Versus the Gold Standard...

Anemia affects 1.62 billion people globally, with a high prevalence in vulnerable groups, including 67.1% of children and 59.1% of women in India. Traditional anemia screening methods are invasive, costly, and impractical in remote areas. This study aims to evaluate the EzeCheck non-invasive device for estimating hemoglobin levels, comparing its efficacy with conventional hematology analyzers. The goal is to provide a more accessible and efficient solution for anemia screening, particularly in resourcelimited settings. This hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, from June to November 2024, with ethical approval. The study included patients and healthy voluntary donors from the Transfusion Medicine clinic, Blood Centre, and blood donation camps, excluding individuals with skin thickening, corns, or nail cosmetics. The study was double-blinded, with consent obtained from participants or guardians for children aged 6-12 years. Hemoglobin levels were categorized into six groups based on severity. Data were analyzed using SPSS, with Cohen's Kappa assessing agreement between the Hematology Analyzer and EzeCheck, and Pearson correlation measuring method reliability. A total of 1125 participants were included, comprising 788 males and 337 females. The study showed substantial agreement between the EzeCheck and Hematology Analyzer. The Pearson correlation of 0.961 indicated a strong positive correlation in hemoglobin measurements. EzeCheck's performance metrics included 93.54% sensitivity, 86.67% specificity, 83.93% positive predictive value, and 94.75% negative predictive value, with an overall accuracy of 89.60%, confirming its reliability and effectiveness in anemia screening. EzeCheck demonstrated reliable test results in both patients and healthy volunteers, making it an effective tool for patient screening and voluntary blood donation camps, particularly in resource-limited settings.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12288-025-02035-6.