at-home health kits: pros, cons and everything you need to know

at-home health kits could be the future of health monitoring, but they’re not replacing doctors just yet.

by angelica bottaro

published mar 28, 2024

5 minute read

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5 minute read

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with a growth rate of 6.3 per cent over the course of the next five years, the number of at-home health testing kit users will multiply. getty images

at-home health kits continue to make their way to the popular table, and by 2029, it’s expected that the number of people using them in north america will increase by 6.3 per cent. the kits offer the promise of convenience and quick results when looking at specific health parameters, something that many healthcare providers simply cannot do. if you’ve never heard of an at-home health kit, you may be unsure what they are or what they can accomplish. prior to the modern kits of today, pregnancy tests and glucose testing were versions of these take-home lab-driven diagnostics. now, though, people can check for many other health scores or chronic or acute conditions, including:

certain types of cancer, including colon cancer
infectious diseases, such as hiv and hepatitis
sexually transmitted infections (stis), such as hpv, chlamydia, and gonorrhea
genetic tests to determine risk for chronic diseases
food sensitivities
hormone levels as they relate to female and male health and metabolic health
thyroid hormone levels
cholesterol and lipids
screening for certain diseases, including celiac
hba1c to measure blood sugar levels
nutrient levels and deficiencies
lyme disease
heart health

it would appear that there is little these at-home tests can’t do now that major biotechnology companies have jumped on the bandwagon. but while the tests can be useful, they are not the be-all and end-all for health monitoring, at least not yet. there are pros and cons associated with these tests, both of which should be considered before heading to a website and choosing one that’s right for you.

pros of using at-home health kits

there are many benefits of at-home health kits, the first being convenience. with this type of testing, you no longer have to book an appointment with your primary care physician and wait to see them to get a requisition for blood work or other tests. you simply perform the test at home, get the results, and share them with your doctor for interpretation.

privacy is another significant benefit many people will appreciate, especially for more sensitive testing, such as stis. stigma is still widely prevalent surrounding stis and stds, and research shows that because of that, many teens and young adults avoid testing altogether. this can lead to further spread of these infections and diseases, but with at-home health kits, you don’t have to worry about stigmatization.

screening for health conditions or preliminary risk factors that drive the onset of chronic diseases is another benefit associated with at-home testing. instead of waiting for something to become an issue, users can screen themselves for specific preemptive signs of disease, allowing them to make the necessary changes before developing it. for example, a person can screen their cholesterol levels, and if the results show they are high, they can make lifestyle changes to reduce the risk of their high cholesterol becoming heart disease.

access to medical care is becoming increasingly difficult, and because of that, many people in rural areas forgo specific testing or screening procedures simply because it’s difficult to see a doctor in an urban area when you live so far away from everything. at-home testing is delivered straight to your door (or mailbox), so you don’t have to worry about transportation or travel far to get healthcare.

cons of using at-home health kits

not everybody is a healthcare professional, so interpreting the results from at-home tests could be challenging. this could lead to misreading tests and trying the wrong therapy approaches based on those results.

storing the samples also has to be done in a specific way so that they are viable for testing. if stored improperly, the sample could lead to inaccurate results, or you run the risk of not being able to use it all. since these test kits aren’t cheap and are not typically covered under provincial healthcare plans or private insurance companies, storing them in a way that causes them to be invalid could be stressful and financially taxing.

you may also have to see your healthcare provider anyway if results come back positive for certain things. for example, if you test positive for an std, you will need to see your physician with the results to get a prescription medication. on the same side, if you detect abnormalities in a cancer screening, you must also see your physician for confirmatory testing.

it’s also possible to lean too much on at-home tests, avoiding seeing a doctor at all. while these tests are meant to make care more accessible, they are not a replacement for professional medical care.

using an at-home health kit

the process of conducting an at-home health kit test will vary because different conditions and health parameters require varied test samples. for example, a pregnancy test, a type of at-home medical testing kit, involves urine collection. a glucose test, however, will need a sample of blood. other samples may include:

stool
saliva
cheek or throat swabs

to perform the test properly, you must be comfortable collecting these samples, so it’s vital to read all instructions carefully to ensure you understand exactly how to collect and store the sample before sending it to the lab. as mentioned above, if the test is done or stored improperly, the results could be skewed, leading to a waste of money and more stress.

what to look for when purchasing an at-home health kit

health canada does not monitor all at-home testing kits, and some companies that offer this kind of testing are not licensed to sell their products in canada. because of that, it’s essential to know which ones are best when looking for efficacy and reliability. if a test is purchased from a non-reputable site, you may end up with results that indicate you have a disease when you don’t or don’t pick up on a health issue that requires medical treatment.

according to the government of canada, when buying a health kit for home use, you should:

ensure that the product is licensed by health canada
buy only from reliable sources
check for expiry dates and return the kit unused if it is past its best before

at-home health kits are considered medical devices in canada. under the medical device regulations, all sold in canada must be of the highest quality and provide safety and effectiveness. currently, there are a few at-home health kit companies that have passed the test and are approved for use in canada, including:

future directions

with a growth rate of 6.3 per cent over the course of the next five years, the number of at-home health testing kit users will multiply. those numbers will only continue to grow as medical technology companies continue to improve upon their tests’ accuracy and useability.

while the united states holds the top spot when it comes to controlling the market for at-home testing, canada isn’t far behind. as wait times become longer and appointments become shorter due to time constraints, it may only be a matter of time before at-home health testing kits are a mainstay in preventing, monitoring, and managing canadians’ health.

angelica bottaro

angelica bottaro is the lead editor at healthing.ca, and has been content writing for over a decade, specializing in all things health. her goal as a health journalist is to bring awareness and information to people that they can use as an additional tool toward their own optimal health.

at-home health kits: pros, cons and everything you need to know

at-home health kits could be the future of health monitoring, but they’re not replacing doctors just yet.

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