Feasibility of Capillary Self-Collected Blood Specimens for Routine Outpatient Laboratory Testing

Area of Science:

• Clinical Chemistry
• Point-of-Care Testing
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Capillary self-collection (CSC) devices enable at-home blood sample collection, potentially reducing clinic visits.
• Evaluating patient experience and analytical performance of CSC devices is crucial for adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• Assess patient experience with commercial CSC devices.
• Identify common laboratory test groupings to minimize appointments.
• Evaluate the analytical performance of CSC samples for key laboratory tests.

Main Methods:

• User experience evaluated for three CSC devices.
• Clinical feasibility assessed by comparing CSC and venipuncture (VP) serum samples.
• Analyzed stability of CSC samples under simulated shipping conditions (delayed processing, temperature extremes).

Main Results:

• Patients found CSC devices easy to use and painless.
• Immediate processing showed minimal clinical differences (potassium, bicarbonate).
• Delayed processing (48h room temp) revealed differences in potassium, bicarbonate, and glucose.
• High temperature (40°C) for 48h impacted most analytes except creatinine, lipids, PSA, and thyroid cascade.

Conclusions:

• Potassium, bicarbonate, and glucose demonstrate limited stability in CSC serum at room temperature.
• CSC serum is a viable option, but requires analyte-specific stability assessment and controlled transportation.