Collecting at-Home Biometric Measures for Longitudinal Research From the i3C: Feasibility and Acceptability Study

This study demonstrated that a fully remote genome sequencing study using self-collected dried blood spots and buccal swabs is feasible for individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome, with all participants completing the study and reporting the process was easy despite being lengthy. The design successfully returned actionable genetic findings, including those related to blood clot formation, to participants.

Study design with responsible return of results for a fully remote genome sequencing study in individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome — Vrana-Diaz et al., Genetics in medicine open · source ↗

• blood
• saliva
• dried
• dbs
• self-collection
• acceptability
• dct
• genotyping

In a cross-sectional study of 90 adolescents, 94 per cent provided at least one salivary sample and 89 per cent supplied a stool sample, with high adherence to study instructions, indicating that self-collection of these biospecimens is feasible and acceptable in this age group.

Engaging adolescents in research: Home self-collection of biological samples and health questionnaires — Leung et al., Research in nursing & health (paywalled) · source ↗

• acceptability
• self-collection
• microbiome
• pediatric
• stool
• saliva

Participants preferred the Omnigene and Zymo oral swabs for comfort and ease of use, whilst the Omnigene device yielded the highest median bacterial DNA concentration compared to the other devices. The results indicate that the choice of self-collection device impacts both patient acceptability and DNA yield for oral microbiome analysis.

Comparison of self-collected oral swabs for supragingival microbiome characterization using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing — Rooney et al., Journal of microbiological methods (paywalled) · source ↗

• acceptability
• stabilised
• self-collection
• microbiome
• saliva

The study demonstrated the feasibility of a fully decentralised design by successfully recruiting 37 participants and completing follow-up for self-collected stool samples without requiring on-site visits.

Perioperative Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Cesarean Section and the Maternal Gut Microbiome: Protocol for a Remote Observational Cohort Study — Feles & Mattner, JMIR research protocols · source ↗

• stool
• self-collection
• dct
• microbiome

This pilot study found that mailing self-collection kits to endometrial cancer survivors was feasible and acceptable, whilst also observing that chemotherapy or radiation reduced beneficial vaginal bacteria compared to surgery alone.

Stool and vaginal microbiome profiles patterns among Black and White endometrial cancer survivors: A pilot study in North Carolina — Jin et al., PloS one · source ↗

• stool
• self-collection
• acceptability
• microbiome