Enduring: Streamlining lab visits: Can patient self-collected blood improve the phlebotomy experience?

Course overview

Self-collected blood sampling is emerging as a potentially transformational change in laboratory medicine. Patients are seeking greater flexibility while maintaining diagnostic integrity. This presentation explores the distinctions between capillary and venous collection and compares home-based versus clinic-based sampling, with attention to delayed processing and shipping stability. An overview of self-collection devices, highlighting multiple U.S. FDA-cleared options evaluated by our team, will be included. We will share comparative data on sample quality, patient and phlebotomist experience, and clinical measure concordance. The session will conclude with a balanced discussion of the strengths and limitations surrounding self-collected blood. Objectives: 1. Describe the principles and clinical implications of self-collected blood sampling, including distinctions between capillary and venous collection methods. 2. Compare home-based versus clinic-based collection workflows, with emphasis on delayed processing and sample stability during shipping. 3. Identify use cases for U.S. FDA-cleared self-collection devices as alternatives to traditional outpatient phlebotomy.