The Library
1530 papers on microsampling and monitoring, each with a finding paraphrased to our standard and labelled in one vocabulary. Every entry links to a legitimate copy; nothing is copied from an abstract.
Papers 501–600 of 734 labelled “self-collection”, newest first.
2021
Salivary cortisol was measured over two days in children at 3.5 years; afternoon cortisol was higher on childcare days than home days in the out-of-home group, suggesting afternoons in out-of-home childcare may activate the stress response in young children.
Children's diurnal cortisol output and temperament in two different childcare settings at 2 and 3.5 years of age — Tervahartiala et al., Developmental psychobiology (paywalled)
- saliva
- self-collection
- pediatric
- cortisol
2021
Handelsman et al. validated a direct LCMS assay for pregnanediol glucuronide in dried urine spots without deconjugation. In ten women monitored across one menstrual cycle, using two or three consecutive first-void samples reduced false-negative ovulation detection from eight per cent to 2.6 per cent and 1.9 per cent respectively, enabling accurate home-based fertility assessment.
Direct measurement of pregnanediol 3-glucuronide (PDG) in dried urine spots by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to detect ovulation — Handelsman et al., The Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology (paywalled)
- urine
- dried
- first-void
- self-collection
- validation
- fertility
- hormones
- steroids
2021
A hybrid trial in 99 toddlers achieved 97% adherence to electronic symptom diaries and obtained valid home-collected nasal swabs in 81% of acute respiratory infection episodes, demonstrating that decentralised procedures with parental self-sampling can reliably support respiratory virus diagnosis in paediatric vaccine trials.
Feasibility of a hybrid clinical trial for respiratory virus detection in toddlers during the influenza season — Muñoz-Ramírez et al., BMC medical research methodology
- self-collection
- pediatric
- dct
2021
Self-sampled vaginal swabs and urine can identify women with recurrent CIN2+ after treatment for high-grade CIN, with vaginal self-sampling showing high sensitivity and substantial agreement with clinician sampling, while urine shows moderate agreement; this supports home-based follow-up to maximise participation.
Self-sampling for high-risk human papillomavirus as a follow-up alternative after treatment of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia — Östensson et al., Oncology letters
- urine
- self-collection
- hpv
- sti
2021
Dried blood spot specimens collected at home without medically trained personnel showed agreement with conventional venous blood when analysed by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay, with stable antibody readouts over more than 200 days of dry dark storage and consistent results in individuals tested twice within 10 months post-infection.
Detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in dried blood spots utilizing manual or automated spot extraction and electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) — Knoop et al., Analytical science advances
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- validation
- venous-agreement
- serology
2021
Salivary indoxyl sulfate and proteinuria were independent predictors of graft deterioration with an area under the ROC curve of 0.71, supporting their use as non-invasive screening tools in decentralised settings.
Evaluation of Salivary Indoxyl Sulfate with Proteinuria for Predicting Graft Deterioration in Kidney Transplant Recipients — Korytowska et al., Toxins
- saliva
- urine
- self-collection
- biomarkers
2021
In a longitudinal case analysis of repeat sexual trauma, self-collected saliva samples revealed a dysregulated diurnal cortisol profile that tracked with immune suppression and mental health fluctuations. The study highlights the feasibility of incorporating remote self-sampling into sensitive biobehavioural monitoring over time.
The biobehavioral impacts of sexual violence: Findings from an acute repeat survivor of vaginal rape — Anderson et al., Women's health
- saliva
- self-collection
- hormones
- cortisol
- biomarkers
2021
Maternal choline intake was found to reduce the impact of adverse childhood experiences on maternal and infant cortisol responses, highlighting the role of nutrition in buffering stress biology. This supports decentralised diagnostics by demonstrating the feasibility and value of self-collected saliva samples for longitudinal, patient-centric monitoring of hormonal biomarkers in real-world settings.
The role of maternal nutrition during pregnancy in the intergenerational transmission of childhood adversity — Vaghef-Mehrabani et al., Psychoneuroendocrinology (paywalled)
- saliva
- self-collection
- hormones
- cortisol
2021
Capillary dried blood spot samples analysed with the Roche Elecsys anti-SARS-CoV-2 assay on COBAS 6000 systems agreed with paired serum results in 98.9% of cases and remained accurate at 86.7% after 9 days, supporting their use for decentralised COVID-19 serosurveillance and large-scale screening.
Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies from dried blood spot samples with the Roche Elecsys Immunochemistry method — Fontaine & Saez, Practical laboratory medicine
- blood
- dried
- capillary
- dbs
- self-collection
- validation
- venous-agreement
- serology
2021
Low-income African American emerging adults showed asymmetrical cortisol and salivary alpha-amylase reactivity to stress that correlated with experiences of racism and interpersonal trauma. Self-collected saliva revealed atypical diurnal cortisol rhythms under daily stress, showing the feasibility of decentralised biomarker monitoring for stress-related health disparities.
Stress response asymmetries in African American emerging adults exposed to chronic social adversity — Wood et al., Stress (paywalled)
- saliva
- self-collection
- hormones
- cortisol
- biomarkers
2021
Self-collected saliva and anterior nasal swabs detected SARS-CoV-2 with sensitivities of 68% and 59% respectively compared with healthcare worker-collected nasopharyngeal swabs. When samples were taken 3-7 days after symptom onset, sensitivities rose to 85% for saliva and 80% for anterior nasal swabs, showing that timing and patient characteristics significantly influence diagnostic accuracy in decentralised testing.
Effects of Patient Characteristics on Diagnostic Performance of Self-Collected Samples for SARS-CoV-2 Testing — Smith-Jeffcoat et al., Emerging infectious diseases
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
2021
Salivary cortisol was lower when participants self-collected at home compared with samples taken in the laboratory, and levels fell after music listening in both environments. This demonstrates that home-based saliva collection can capture physiologically relevant changes in stress hormones, which is pertinent for decentralised diagnostic and trial applications.
Psychological and Physiological Signatures of Music Listening in Different Listening Environments-An Exploratory Study — Tervaniemi et al., Brain sciences
- saliva
- self-collection
- hormones
- cortisol
2021
In a decentralised design, HAE patients collected dried blood spot samples at home during attacks and at clinic visits, with high acceptability and sufficient sample volumes for LC-IM-QToF MS metabolomics, supporting the feasibility of patient-centric microsampling to discover disease activity biomarkers.
HAE patient self-sampling for biomarker establishment — Förster et al., Orphanet journal of rare diseases
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- acceptability
- dct
- biomarkers
2021
Intervention mapping identified stigma, privacy, and time constraints as key barriers to self-sampling for HIV and sexually transmitted infections among men who have sex with men. Developing tailored digital outreach, role-model narratives, and peer-to-peer test distribution addresses these barriers to support uptake of remote home self-collection programs.
Systematic Development of an Intervention to Promote Self-Sampling for HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections for Men Who Have Sex With Men: An Intervention Mapping Approach — Leenen et al., Frontiers in reproductive health
- urine
- self-collection
- acceptability
- sti
2021
This study found that higher pre-sleep physiological stress, measured via self-collected saliva, was linked to increased cortical arousal during sleep and more consolidated rapid eye movement sleep in adolescents. The results support the use of decentralised sampling and in-home monitoring to investigate physiological interactions in natural sleep environments.
Presleep physiological stress is associated with a higher cortical arousal in sleep and more consolidated REM sleep — Pesonen et al., Stress (paywalled)
- saliva
- self-collection
- pediatric
- actigraphy
- multimodal
2021
A portable microfluidic cartridge achieved direct detection of SARS-CoV-2 from self-collected saliva at 1000 copies/mL without RNA isolation, integrating sample heating, primer mixing and multiplex qPCR into an automated sample-to-result workflow. This removes the need for clinic-based collection and laboratory processing, enabling rapid decentralised testing during a pandemic.
A Sensitive, Portable Microfluidic Device for SARS-CoV-2 Detection from Self-Collected Saliva — Yang et al., Infectious disease reports
- saliva
- self-collection
- serology
2021
Home-based dried blood spot sampling from infants showed significant tracking of total cholesterol between 6 and 12 months of age. With 21% of children having elevated cholesterol, this demonstrates that decentralised microsampling can identify those needing early preventive measures.
Cholesterol at ages 6, 12 and 24 months: Tracking and associations with diet and maternal cholesterol in the Infant Cholesterol Study — Øyri et al., Atherosclerosis (paywalled)
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- pediatric
- biomarkers
2021
In a Berlin homeless shelter, weekly self-collection of saliva or nasal/oral swabs for COVID-19 PCR achieved 89–94% retention over three weeks, but required 48 person-hours per round and repeated assistance. Residents found nasal/oral swabs easier than saliva, and language barriers were the main obstacle to participation. This shows that decentralised screening in vulnerable populations is feasible but demands flexible, supported protocols and resource planning.
Monitoring for COVID-19 by universal testing in a homeless shelter in Germany: a prospective feasibility cohort study — Lindner et al., BMC infectious diseases
- saliva
- self-collection
- acceptability
- serology
2021
This systematic review found that chlamydia screening may reduce pelvic inflammatory disease in young women, and that testing for chlamydia and gonorrhea is accurate using urine samples and self-collected vaginal specimens, with self-collected samples showing 90 to 100 percent sensitivity compared with clinician-collected samples.
Screening for Chlamydial and Gonococcal Infections: A Systematic Review Update for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force — Cantor et al., Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US), Rockville
- urine
- self-collection
- validation
- sti
2021
Self-collected saliva and urine samples from prepubertal children with type 1 diabetes revealed altered nocturnal cortisol metabolism, with lower urinary glucocorticoid metabolites and higher morning salivary cortisone levels compared with healthy controls. This demonstrates that decentralised home sampling can detect HPA axis hyperactivity in paediatric populations with endocrine disease.
Altered Cortisol Metabolism Increases Nocturnal Cortisol Bioavailability in Prepubertal Children With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus — Brossaud et al., Frontiers in endocrinology
- saliva
- urine
- self-collection
- pediatric
- hormones
- cortisol
2021
Patient-collected midturbinate nasal swabs matched provider-collected nasopharyngeal swabs with 100% sensitivity for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, while saliva showed 96.8% sensitivity; pretreating saliva with proteinase K eliminated invalid results. These findings validate self-collection for decentralised infectious disease screening.
Evaluation of Self-Collected Midturbinate Nasal Swabs and Saliva for Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA — Boerger et al., Journal of clinical microbiology
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
A quantitative dried blood spot device (Capitainer qDBS) combined with the Roche Elecsys anti-SARS-CoV-2 S immunoassay tracked anti-spike antibody development after two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, with the second dose producing a roughly hundredfold stimulation that peaked at two weeks and fell to 65 percent by three months. The bias between plasma and DBS was variable across both a 14-volunteer vaccination cohort and a 200-patient clinical cohort, yet DBS proved sufficiently sensitive for prolonged immune-status monitoring without venous draws.
Use of Quantitative Dried Blood Spots to Evaluate the Post-Vaccination Level of Neutralizing Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 — Marchand et al., Life
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- qdbs
- self-collection
- validation
- venous-agreement
- serology
2021
Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Trichomonas vaginalis was low overall among pregnant women and their male partners in Dutch midwifery practices, but Chlamydia trachomatis was notably more common in women aged 20 years or younger. The findings suggest that targeted screening of young pregnant women may be warranted while routine screening of all pregnant women and partners may not be justified in this setting.
Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoea, and Trichomonas vaginalis infections among pregnant women and male partners in Dutch midwifery practices: prevalence, risk factors, and perinatal outcomes — Op de Coul et al., Reproductive health
- urine
- self-collection
- sti
2021
In Ugandan PLHIV, asymptomatic STIs were found in 3.9% overall and 5.7% in women, with risk higher under 25 years and with multiple partners. Self-sampling was highly acceptable, with over 95% finding it easy and comfortable and 83.8% believing the results, supporting decentralised STI screening using self-collected urine.
Prevalence and predictors of asymptomatic <i>Chlamydia trachomatis</i> and <i>Neisseria gonorrhoeae</i> in a Ugandan population most at risk of HIV transmission — Mabonga et al., International journal of STD & AIDS (paywalled)
- urine
- first-void
- self-collection
- acceptability
- sti
2021
Saliva self-collection achieved 97 per cent agreement with nasopharyngeal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 detection in 128 paired specimens using CDC qPCR chemistry. In asymptomatic populations, saliva screening of 466 community participants yielded a 1.07 per cent positivity rate, nearly identical to the 1.12 per cent rate from 8,461 nasopharyngeal swabs in preoperative patients, supporting saliva as a noninvasive alternative for decentralised diagnostic programmes.
Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 PCR-Based Detection Using Saliva or Nasopharyngeal Swab Specimens in Asymptomatic Populations — Fan et al., Microbiology spectrum
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
Saliva self-collection with TRIzol extraction matched nasopharyngeal swab performance for SARS-CoV-2 detection while enabling room-temperature storage without specialised tubes, offering a lower-cost decentralised option suitable for large-scale screening programmes.
Development of an alternative saliva test for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 using TRIzol: Adapting to countries with lower incomes looking for a large-scale detection program — Miranda-Ortiz et al., PloS one
- saliva
- liquid
- self-collection
- validation
- economics
- serology
2021
Fathers who self-collected saliva at home showed that greater engagement in childcare, particularly cuddling, was associated with a more pronounced diurnal decline in testosterone and lower cortisol levels. This demonstrates saliva sampling can capture behaviourally relevant hormone changes, supporting its use for decentralised monitoring of stress and reproductive hormones.
Fathering behavior, attachment, and engagement in childcare predict testosterone and cortisol — Ahnert et al., Developmental psychobiology (paywalled)
- saliva
- self-collection
- hormones
- cortisol
2021
Saliva RT-qPCR, RT-LAMP, spectroscopy and ELISA detect SARS-CoV-2 with high sensitivity in early infection and asymptomatic adults compared with nasopharyngeal swabs. Patient-centric self-collection guided by telemedicine reduces contagion risk for staff and enables decentralised screening, but the authors note that further clinical validation is still needed.
Evaluation of saliva as a complementary technique to the diagnosis of COVID-19: a systematic review — Sagredo-Olivares et al., Medicina oral, patologia oral y cirugia bucal
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
In asymptomatic adults, self-collected random oropharyngeal saliva detected SARS-CoV-2 more frequently than healthcare worker-collected nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs (92.3% versus 73.8%). This supports saliva as a patient-centric specimen for decentralised COVID-19 surveillance, reducing healthcare worker exposure while improving detection rates.
COVID-19 screening test by using random oropharyngeal saliva — Rao et al., Journal of medical virology
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
Parent-collected nasal swabs from children with respiratory infections showed 91% sensitivity and excellent agreement with nurse-collected samples for detecting viral and bacterial pathogens by PCR, whereas parent-collected saliva swabs were substantially less sensitive at 69% for viruses and 78% for bacteria. This supports decentralised paediatric diagnosis using nasal self-sampling, reducing healthcare burden while maintaining accuracy.
Prospective Study of the Performance of Parent-Collected Nasal and Saliva Swab Samples, Compared with Nurse-Collected Swab Samples, for the Molecular Detection of Respiratory Microorganisms — Woodall et al., Microbiology spectrum
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- pediatric
- serology
2021
Nineteen healthy adults showed high compliance to a three-day home salivary sampling protocol, with 95% collecting the correct number of samples. Morning cortisol and cortisone profiles had moderate reproducibility, requiring three to four days of sampling to achieve high reliability, indicating that home-based protocols can support decentralised stress-hormone monitoring.
Feasibility of home-based sampling of salivary cortisol and cortisone in healthy adults — Sørensen et al., BMC research notes
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- hormones
- cortisol
2021
Remote dried blood spot testing for HbA1c was feasible for telemedicine, with just over half of ordered tests completed and results available within a week for most who completed the test.
Adapting to telemedicine in the COVID-19 era: Feasibility of dried blood spot testing for hemoglobin A1c — Roberts et al., Diabetes & metabolic syndrome (paywalled)
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
2021
Urine self-sampling for HPV detection showed good agreement with clinician-collected cervical samples (Kappa 0.72) under optimised conditions of 40 mM EDTA preservative, storage at 25°C, and processing within 72 hours. With a cost of USD 1.10 and high acceptability among women and healthcare workers, this method offers a practical decentralised screening approach for resource-limited settings.
Performance of an affordable urine self-sampling method for human papillomavirus detection in Mexican women — Hernández-López et al., PloS one
- urine
- self-collection
- validation
- acceptability
- economics
- hpv
- sti
2021
Home-collected dried blood spots were feasible for longitudinal HIV viral load monitoring among US MSM, with high return rates and most participants maintaining undetectable viral load across time points. This supports use of self-collected DBS as a decentralised approach to sustain viral suppression.
Longitudinal Viral Load Monitoring Using Home-Collected Dried Blood Spot Specimens of MSM Living with HIV: Results from a Feasibility Pilot Study — Teran et al., AIDS and behavior
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- serology
2021
Capillary blood collected by fingerstick with the Mitra volumetric absorptive microsampling device showed near identical sensitivity and specificity for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies compared with venous serum when analysed with the Roche Elecsys assay. This validation enables decentralised, patient-centric serology testing for remote or at-home use and large-scale community seroprevalence studies.
Remote Fingerstick Blood Collection for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Antibody Testing — Garcia-Beltran et al., Archives of pathology & laboratory medicine (paywalled)
- blood
- dried
- capillary
- vams
- neoteryx-mitra
- self-collection
- validation
- venous-agreement
- serology
2021
People with mild learning disabilities found STI/BBV self-sampling packs challenging due to complex instructions and manual dexterity required for blood sampling, yet welcomed privacy and avoiding clinic visits. Providing easy-read formats and retaining face-to-face options are essential to avoid widening health inequalities in decentralised screening.
How can we make self-sampling packs for sexually transmitted infections and bloodborne viruses more inclusive? A qualitative study with people with mild learning disabilities and low health literacy — Middleton et al., Sexually transmitted infections
- blood
- self-collection
- acceptability
- sti
2021
Thai transgender women showed high acceptability and satisfaction for self-collection of CT/NG testing, with 100% performance agreement in a small subset compared with provider collection, supporting wider implementation especially during physical distancing.
Acceptability and satisfaction towards self-collection for chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing among transgender women in Tangerine Clinic, Thailand: shifting towards the new normal — Hiransuthikul et al., Journal of the International AIDS Society
- urine
- self-collection
- acceptability
- sti
2021
Latent class analysis of 4,793 participants identified five distinct SARS-CoV-2 testing preference patterns; saliva was most preferred by noninvasive home testers, and simulation predicted that offering less invasive specimens, faster turnaround, and at-home testing would increase uptake from 81.6% to 98.1%. These results show that aligning test design with patient preferences can substantially improve screening participation in decentralised diagnostics.
Patterns of SARS-CoV-2 Testing Preferences in a National Cohort in the United States: Latent Class Analysis of a Discrete Choice Experiment — Zimba et al., JMIR public health and surveillance
- saliva
- self-collection
- acceptability
2021
Children aged 8 to 14 living in neighbourhoods with higher concentrated poverty showed higher diurnal cortisol output when measured in saliva samples. Otherwise, cortisol output showed little association with other aspects of social disadvantage, suggesting limited support for HPA axis dysregulation as a general mechanism linking socioeconomic inequality to health outcomes in childhood.
Weak and uneven associations of home, neighborhood, and school environments with stress hormone output across multiple timescales — Malanchini et al., Molecular psychiatry (paywalled)
- saliva
- self-collection
- pediatric
- hormones
- cortisol
- biomarkers
2021
Saliva self-collection for SARS-CoV-2 detection showed 87.8% sensitivity and 97.1% specificity against nasopharyngeal swabs in 1220 patients, offering a patient-centric alternative with higher acceptability and virtually painless collection, though requiring sample fluidisation. Oral-self sampling swabs were preferred by most patients and also virtually painless, but the 61.1% sensitivity was too low for reliable decentralised diagnostics.
Performances, feasibility and acceptability of nasopharyngeal swab, saliva and oral-self sampling swab for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 — Plantamura et al., European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- acceptability
- serology
2021
Direct RT-qPCR on self-collected raw saliva detected SARS-CoV-2 with 95.7% sensitivity and 100% specificity; only 0.6% of 2709 samples were invalid, and the method processed up to 384 samples in under two hours, offering a rapid, scalable approach for community-wide screening.
Validation and implementation of a direct RT-qPCR method for rapid screening of SARS-CoV-2 infection by using non-invasive saliva samples — Brotons et al., International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
- saliva
- liquid
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
Native saliva and gargle lavage demonstrated high diagnostic sensitivity for SARS-CoV-2 at 92.8% and 89.1% respectively in self-collected samples from symptomatic adults. Nasal swabs achieved comparable results but proved difficult for 16.6% of participants, while tongue swabs and chewed cotton pads were significantly less sensitive, indicating saliva or gargle lavage are optimal for decentralised screening.
Self-Collected Samples to Detect SARS-CoV-2: Direct Comparison of Saliva, Tongue Swab, Nasal Swab, Chewed Cotton Pads and Gargle Lavage — Kohmer et al., Journal of clinical medicine
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
Seroprevalence among Milan schoolchildren rose from 2.8% in September 2020 to 12.5% in January 2021, with an overall seroconversion rate of 10% and no difference between those attending school in person and those switched to remote learning, suggesting schools reflected rather than amplified community transmission.
Does school reopening affect SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among school-age children in Milan? — Barcellini et al., PloS one
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- pediatric
- serology
2021
Modified pooled sampling using gargle and first-void urine achieved sensitivities of 94.2% for Chlamydia trachomatis and 98.3% for Neisseria gonorrhoeae with near-perfect concordance to single-site testing, supporting its use as a decentralised screening approach in asymptomatic men who have sex with men.
Modified self-obtained pooled sampling to screen for <i>Chlamydia trachomatis</i> and <i>Neisseria gonorrhoeae</i> infections in men who have sex with men — Ando et al., Sexually transmitted infections (paywalled)
- urine
- first-void
- self-collection
- validation
- sti
2021
Daily home-based saliva collection proved feasible for six to eight weeks in people with dementia and their caregivers, with a quarter showing decreases in both morning and evening cortisol, suggesting stress reduction. Caregivers displayed a significant flattening of the morning to evening cortisol slope and dyads showed correlated evening cortisol trends, demonstrating that self-sampling can objectively monitor stress in decentralised studies of vulnerable populations.
The use of saliva steroids (cortisol and DHEA-s) as biomarkers of changing stress levels in people with dementia and their caregivers: A pilot study — Theorell et al., Science progress
- saliva
- self-collection
- hormones
- cortisol
- dct
2021
Instability of salivary biomarkers after collection and the absence of standardised handling methods are the principal barriers to home-based saliva diagnostics. The review collates preservation strategies for proteins, hormones, and nucleic acids that are essential for reliable decentralised testing.
Stabilization of Salivary Biomarkers — d'Amone et al., ACS biomaterials science & engineering (paywalled)
- saliva
- stabilised
- self-collection
- validation
- biomarkers
2021
The study demonstrates a fully automated workflow for dried blood spot sample handling and extraction that recovers intact SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies using a commercial ELISA kit, enabling minimally invasive at-home sampling without third-party involvement.
Fully automated dried blood spot sample handling and extraction for serological testing of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies — Gaugler et al., Drug testing and analysis (paywalled)
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- serology
2021
In 1793 participants, self-taken rectal and pharyngeal swabs matched clinician-taken samples for diagnostic accuracy of gonorrhoea and chlamydia detection. The study demonstrated that most infected men who have sex with men would be missed by urogenital testing alone, supporting extragenital self-sampling as a viable component of decentralised STI screening programmes.
Swab-yourself Trial With Economic Monitoring and Testing for Infections Collectively (SYSTEMATIC): Part 1. A Diagnostic Accuracy and Cost-effectiveness Study Comparing Clinician-taken vs Self-taken Rectal and Pharyngeal Samples for the Diagnosis of Gonorrhea and Chlamydia — Wilson et al., Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (paywalled)
- urine
- self-collection
- validation
- economics
- sti
2021
Among women referred for colposcopy after abnormal cytology, self-collected vaginal samples demonstrated comparable diagnostic accuracy to clinician-collected cervical samples for detecting high-risk HPV and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse. Self-collected urine samples were markedly less accurate, indicating vaginal but not urine self-sampling is suitable for decentralised HPV screening.
Performance and Diagnostic Accuracy of Human Papillomavirus Testing on Self-Collected Urine and Vaginal Samples in a Referral Population — Cho et al., Cancer research and treatment
- urine
- self-collection
- validation
- hpv
- sti
2021
Pooled data from ten clinical studies show saliva detects SARS-CoV-2 with 87% sensitivity and 98% specificity. This supports saliva as a viable specimen for non invasive self collection in decentralised screening in workplaces, schools and homes.
Saliva Exhibits High Sensitivity and Specificity for the Detection of SARS-COV-2 — Warsi et al., Diseases
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
Among 174 symptomatic emergency room patients, self-collected saliva identified SARS-CoV-2 in 98% of those positive by nasopharyngeal swab, with excellent agreement (kappa 0.96). Saliva detected one additional pneumonia case and showed higher cycle threshold values, confirming its utility for decentralised infectious disease screening.
Self-collected saliva for SARS-CoV-2 detection: A prospective study in the emergency room — Echavarria et al., Journal of medical virology (paywalled)
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
Evidence from cross-sectional and clinical trial studies over the past year supports saliva as a viable matrix for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection, offering a non-invasive, self-collection method that can protect frontline staff and identify infections missed by nasopharyngeal swabs. This positions salivary testing as a key tool for decentralised, patient-centric COVID-19 screening.
One-Year Update on Salivary Diagnostic of COVID-19 — Caixeta et al., Frontiers in public health
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
Dried blood spots collected by fingerstick from SARS-CoV-2 convalescent and vaccinated individuals showed strong correlation with paired plasma for antibody binding and neutralisation titres. This supports decentralised serology by enabling self-collection and ambient-temperature mailing and storage, overcoming the cold-chain requirements of venous sampling.
SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Binding and Neutralization in Dried Blood Spot Eluates and Paired Plasma — Itell et al., Microbiology spectrum
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- validation
- venous-agreement
- serology
2021
Self-collected oral fluid achieved only 41.6% sensitivity compared with nasal-oropharyngeal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 detection, with positive agreement falling from 44.6% in the first five days after symptom onset to even lower levels thereafter. This demonstrates that saliva self-collection, while feasible for decentralised testing, lacks the sensitivity required for reliable COVID-19 diagnosis, particularly in later disease stages.
Self-Collected Oral Fluid Saliva Is Insensitive Compared With Nasal-Oropharyngeal Swabs in the Detection of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in Outpatients — Manabe et al., Open forum infectious diseases
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
2021
Li et al developed an electricity-free chemical heater that maintains stable temperature for isothermal nucleic acid amplification. They demonstrated detection of SARS-CoV-2 in self-collected saliva, creating a low-cost, disposable test that works without power and enables decentralised COVID-19 screening.
Electricity-free chemical heater for isothermal nucleic acid amplification with applications in COVID-19 home testing — Li et al., The Analyst (paywalled)
- saliva
- self-collection
2021
Self-collected saliva tested by CLEIA achieved 98.2% concordance with RT-qPCR for SARS-CoV-2 detection. A two-step screening strategy using initial CLEIA followed by confirmatory RT-qPCR for intermediate results would require secondary testing in 11-21% of samples, providing a scalable decentralised testing approach.
A novel strategy for SARS-CoV-2 mass screening with quantitative antigen testing of saliva: a diagnostic accuracy study — Yokota et al., The Lancet. Microbe
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
Among 596 participants, self-collected saliva achieved 80.3% sensitivity and 99.4% specificity for SARS-CoV-2 compared with nasopharyngeal swabs. Saliva collected one to five days after symptom onset yielded 85.1% positivity, indicating it can support early diagnosis in low-resource and community settings.
Diagnostic Performance of Self-Collected Saliva Versus Nasopharyngeal Swab for the Molecular Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in the Clinical Setting — Uddin et al., Microbiology spectrum
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
Saliva swabs demonstrated 89.5% sensitivity and 100% specificity for influenza detection compared with nasopharyngeal swabs, with 97.6% overall agreement. Median cycle threshold values were significantly higher in saliva (33) than in NP specimens (31), yet saliva swabs remain a feasible specimen type that can be easily self-collected with minimal equipment and discomfort for decentralised influenza testing.
Use of Saliva Swab for Detection of Influenza Virus in Patients Admitted to an Emergency Department — Galar et al., Microbiology spectrum
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
The review summarises that dried blood spot analysis and hepatitis C self-test assays have demonstrated diagnostic value for screening in decentralised settings and remote populations, supporting WHO diagnosis targets. This matters for decentralised diagnostics by confirming microsampling methods can be used for infectious disease screening outside clinical facilities.
Hepatitis C Diagnosis: Simplified Solutions, Predictive Barriers, and Future Promises — Shahid et al., Diagnostics
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- serology
2021
Capillary blood self-sampling showed near-perfect agreement with venous sampling for SARS-CoV-2 IgG detection, achieving a Cohen's kappa of 0.88. Samples remained stable at room temperature for seven days, and 38 of 39 participants successfully collected adequate volumes, supporting its use for decentralised serological testing.
Self-sampling of capillary blood for SARS-CoV-2 serology — Brown et al., Scientific reports
- blood
- liquid
- dried
- capillary
- dbs
- self-collection
- validation
- venous-agreement
- serology
2021
Self-sampled dried blood spots showed 99.20% sensitivity and 98.65% specificity for SARS-CoV-2 serology compared with venous sampling, and 99.87% of unsupervised home DBS cards were analysable, supporting DBS as a valid tool for large scale serosurveys and surveillance in resource limited settings.
A dried blood spot protocol for high throughput analysis of SARS-CoV-2 serology based on the Roche Elecsys anti-N assay — Beyerl et al., EBioMedicine
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- validation
- venous-agreement
- serology
2021
Two dry vaginal self-sampling devices and a first-void urine collector detected over 90% of high-grade cervical lesions (CIN 3+) and all invasive cancers, with sensitivity comparable to clinician-taken smears. Participants found the devices easy to use and self-sampling was well accepted, which could improve uptake of cervical screening.
CoCoss-Trial: Concurrent Comparison of Self-Sampling Devices for HPV-Detection — Ertik et al., International journal of environmental research and public health
- urine
- first-void
- colli-pee
- self-collection
- acceptability
- hpv
- sti
2021
Self-collected saliva and buccal swabs showed only moderate agreement with healthcare worker-collected nasopharyngeal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 detection, with positive percent agreement of 66.7% and 56.7% respectively. This suggests they may be useful for initial screening in decentralised settings, but negative results should be confirmed with standard nasopharyngeal sampling to avoid missing infections.
Validation of self-collected buccal swab and saliva as a diagnostic tool for COVID-19 — Ku et al., International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
Saliva PCR viral loads were equivalent to nasopharyngeal swab in symptomatic COVID-19 patients, with high agreement and comparable detection sensitivity, supporting saliva as a useful self-collected diagnostic tool.
Equivalent SARS-CoV-2 viral loads by PCR between nasopharyngeal swab and saliva in symptomatic patients — Yokota et al., Scientific reports
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2020
A Danish virtual feasibility study of 55 adults with atopic dermatitis found that remote recruitment and self-collection of DNA samples by mail, combined with weekly smartphone tasks, achieved 96% retention and over 90% task adherence, over a short eight-week study with self-reported outcomes.
High adherence and low dropout rate in a virtual clinical study of atopic dermatitis through weekly reward-based personalized genetic lifestyle reports — Ali et al., PLOS ONE
- dct
- acceptability
- self-collection
- genotyping
2020
In 33 patients, dried blood spots showed high correlation with venipuncture for adalimumab, Pearson ≥0.96, whereas home sampling showed moderate correlation with predicted concentrations, Pearson 0.51.
Monitoring of Adalimumab Concentrations at Home in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease Using Dried Blood Samples — Berends et al., Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (paywalled)
- venous-agreement
- biologics
- blood
- dbs
- tdm
- self-collection
- dried
- capillary
2020
Self-collected saliva samples provided adequate DNA for genotyping in preterm birth research, though questionnaire data on birth details had limited concordance with prospective records, indicating that while DNA sampling is feasible via post, phenotyping requires more reliable data collection methods for genetic studies.
Postal recruitment for genetic studies of preterm birth: A feasibility study — Keag et al., Wellcome open research
- dct
- dna-genotek-oragene
- self-collection
- liquid
- saliva
- genotyping
2020
Using the Oragene DNA self-collection kit, this study found no significant difference in CNTFR genotype frequencies between weightlifters, 56% CC, 32% CT and 12% TT, and controls, 53% CC, 40% CT and 7% TT. However, the CT+TT genotype was associated with higher relative performance, though the cross-sectional design limits causal inference.
Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor Receptor rs41274853 Polymorphism Is Associated With Weightlifting Performance in Japanese Weightlifters — Homma et al., Journal of strength and conditioning research (paywalled)
- saliva
- dna-genotek-oragene
- self-collection
- genotyping
2020
Using a patient-centric saliva microsampling kit, the study found that genetic variants, VKORC1 and CYP2C9, and smoking explained 39.2% of warfarin dose variability in a Qatari population, supporting decentralised sampling for pharmacogenomic profiling.
The effect of genetic and nongenetic factors on warfarin dose variability in Qatari population — Bader et al., The pharmacogenomics journal (paywalled)
- tdm
- dna-genotek-oragene
- self-collection
- saliva
- genotyping
2020
Eighty-four per cent of 148 diverse US adults found self-collection of saliva, oropharyngeal swabs and dried blood spots for SARS-CoV-2 testing acceptable, and 87 per cent were confident their specimens were sufficient for laboratory analysis. The lack of demographic differences in acceptability supports broad feasibility of decentralised diagnostics.
At-home self-collection of saliva, oropharyngeal swabs and dried blood spots for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis and serology: Post-collection acceptability of specimen collection process and patient confidence in specimens — Valentine-Graves et al., PloS one
- blood
- saliva
- dbs
- self-collection
- acceptability
- serology
2020
This study validated a method using volumetric absorptive microsampling (VAMS) for therapeutic drug monitoring of antidepressants in whole blood and oral fluid. The method showed good extraction yield (84%), precision (relative standard deviation under 15%), and stability (over 85% after three months), with results agreeing well with conventional sampling. By enabling self-collection at home, VAMS simplifies sampling, improves analyte stability, and reduces costs, making decentralised monitoring of antidepressant treatment feasible.
Whole blood and oral fluid microsampling for the monitoring of patients under treatment with antidepressant drugs — Marasca et al., Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis (paywalled)
- blood
- saliva
- vams
- self-collection
- validation
- tdm
2020
Over half of emergency department patients offered the choice elected to self-collect their own stool sample for faecal occult blood testing, and every self-collected specimen was adequate for analysis. Younger patients were significantly more likely to choose self-collection, suggesting that offering this option could enhance patient autonomy while maintaining diagnostic quality in decentralised care settings.
"Your Finger or Mine?"-Patient Preferences in the Collection of Fecal Occult Blood Testing in the Emergency Department — Freeman et al., Military medicine (paywalled)
- stool
- self-collection
- acceptability
2020
Home dried blood spot monitoring for maple syrup urine disease raised the proportion of leucine concentrations meeting therapeutic targets by 35 per cent. More frequent self-sampling at home was associated with better biochemical control in newborns and fewer hospital visits, showing that patient-centric microsampling can improve management of inherited metabolic disorders.
The utility of dried blood spot monitoring of branched-chain amino acids for maple syrup urine disease: A retrospective chart review study — Kaur et al., Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry (paywalled)
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- pediatric
2020
Home-collected dried blood spots from 143 infants aged 8-14 months revealed wide variation in total cholesterol (4.1 mmol/L, range 2.3-6.6) and glycated haemoglobin (4.9%, range 3.7-6.0). Infant cholesterol correlated with macronutrient intake and maternal cholesterol, supporting decentralised paediatric screening.
Infant cholesterol and glycated haemoglobin concentrations vary widely-Associations with breastfeeding, infant diet and maternal biomarkers — Øyri et al., Acta paediatrica (paywalled)
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- pediatric
- biomarkers
2020
The study found that while participants generally viewed body fluid testing as useful for knowing their health status, cultural and religious concerns created ambivalence about sampling, particularly for blood and semen. Ensuring privacy, confidentiality and ongoing counselling helped address these barriers, supporting the design of more acceptable decentralised sampling programmes.
Perceptions on the collection of body fluids for research on persistence of Ebola virus: A qualitative study — Kutalek et al., PLoS neglected tropical diseases
- blood
- self-collection
- acceptability
2020
The study found only fair agreement between self-collected urine and vaginal samples for HPV DNA detection, with an overall agreement of 64.04% and a kappa value of 0.29. This suggests that urine self-sampling may not be a reliable substitute for vaginal self-sampling in this high-prevalence population for HPV screening.
Comparison of two self-sampling methods for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing among women with high prevalence rates — Kuriakose et al., Journal of medical virology (paywalled)
- urine
- self-collection
- validation
- hpv
- sti
2020
Saliva shows potential as a patient-friendly alternative to nasopharyngeal swabs for COVID-19 diagnosis, with comparable sensitivity and specificity in RT-PCR testing. Its self-collection capability supports decentralised, patient-centric testing strategies during pandemics.
Saliva as a Biological Sample for COVID-19 Diagnosis? — Kafle & Sapkota, Kathmandu University medical journal (paywalled)
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- acceptability
- serology
2020
A community-based participatory research study across five American Indian communities showed that a home-based salivary cortisol collection protocol achieved high participant compliance, with 91% providing at least one usable sample and 79% providing four, and that deviations from timing were not robustly associated with cortisol indices, indicating that such decentralised protocols can yield valid hormone data.
Assessment of feasibility and outcomes of a salivary cortisol collection protocol in five American Indian communities — Walls et al., Stress (paywalled)
- saliva
- self-collection
- cortisol
2020
The study found that stimulant users were less likely to complete an at-home dried blood spot collection protocol than other drug users, but it is feasible to conduct decentralised studies with this population. This matters because it supports the use of patient-centric microsampling in high-risk groups for infectious disease monitoring, despite adherence challenges.
Stimulant Use and Study Protocol Completion: Assessing the Ability of Men Who Have Sex with Men to Collect Dried Blood Spots for Laboratory Measurement of HIV Viral Load — Teran et al., Archives of sexual behavior (paywalled)
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- serology
2020
This mixed-method study demonstrated that 97% of parents successfully collected dried blood spot samples from their children, with 72% reporting the process was easy and 80% preferring home collection. The results suggest that decentralised self-sampling for therapeutic drug monitoring is feasible and can reduce stress for families managing paediatric epilepsy.
Parents' perspectives on dried blood spot self-sampling from children with epilepsy: A mixed-method study — Linder et al., Acta paediatrica (paywalled)
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- acceptability
- pediatric
- tdm
2020
Self-collected salivary cortisol, measured at three daily time points in cocaine-abstinent outpatients, showed elevated morning levels and area-under-the-curve values that correlated positively with craving and negatively with verbal memory performance. This pilot study suggests home-based cortisol monitoring could help track relapse risk and cognitive impairment in substance-use disorders.
Salivary Cortisol Levels Are Associated with Craving and Cognitive Performance in Cocaine-Abstinent Subjects: A Pilot Study — Sampedro-Piquero et al., Brain sciences
- saliva
- self-collection
- hormones
- cortisol
2020
Self-collected saliva samples taken six times daily across three weekdays from 49 Chinese undergraduates showed that higher trait resilience is associated with a stronger cortisol awakening response and steeper diurnal decline. The protocol, which objectively monitored compliance, supports the feasibility of intensive decentralised sampling for stress-axis biomarker research.
Biomarking Trait Resilience With Salivary Cortisol in Chinese Undergraduates — Lai et al., Frontiers in psychology
- saliva
- self-collection
- hormones
- cortisol
2020
Saliva cortisol levels were 30% higher overall in toddlers receiving at-home childcare compared with centre-based care, although both groups displayed typical circadian rhythms. Home-based, patient-centric microsampling of saliva is feasible in paediatric populations, and these findings show that caregiving context must be accounted for when interpreting decentralised cortisol results.
Toddlers' diurnal cortisol levels affected by out-of-home, center-based childcare and at-home, guardian-supervised childcare: comparison between different caregiving contexts — Tervahartiala et al., European child & adolescent psychiatry
- saliva
- self-collection
- pediatric
- hormones
- cortisol
2020
A head-to-head comparison of three commercial assays on self-collected vaginal swabs and first-void urine from 300 women showed Aptima MG achieved 100% sensitivity for Mycoplasma genitalium on both specimen types, while ResistancePlus MG sensitivity fell to 83.3% on urine versus 100% on swabs, and Seeplex STD6 ACE performed poorly on both. This demonstrates that for decentralised STI diagnostics, both assay choice and specimen type profoundly affect accuracy, with vaginal swabs proving more reliable than urine for two of the three tests.
Comparison of Assays for the Diagnosis of Mycoplasma genitalium and Macrolide Resistance Mutations in Self-Collected Vaginal Swabs and Urine — Chernesky et al., Sexually transmitted diseases (paywalled)
- urine
- first-void
- self-collection
- sti
2020
In a randomised trial of 260 women undergoing natural cycle frozen embryo transfer, home-based ovulation monitoring using urine LH tests provided greater feelings of empowerment and treatment discretion compared with hospital monitoring, despite similar increases in anxiety and sadness across both pathways.
Home- or hospital-based monitoring to time frozen embryo transfer in the natural cycle? Patient-reported outcomes and experiences from the Antarctica-2 randomised controlled trial — Zaat et al., Human reproduction
- urine
- self-collection
- acceptability
- fertility
- hormones
- dct
2020
The magnitude of the cortisol awakening response, measured from self-collected saliva at home, positively predicted performance on an attention-switching task later the same day in healthy young adults. The association held only when sampling occurred within eight minutes of waking, demonstrating that precise electronic timing verification is essential for valid decentralised saliva-based cognitive biomarker studies.
The cortisol awakening response predicts a same-day index of executive function in healthy young adults — Law et al., International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology (paywalled)
- saliva
- self-collection
- hormones
- cortisol
2020
Among 603 women in Zambia, home self-collection of genital and urine specimens for schistosomiasis diagnosis proved highly acceptable: more than 96% were willing to repeat each sample type, and 90% preferred home-based to clinic-based collection, chiefly for privacy and convenience. This supports decentralised, patient-centric screening strategies for female genital schistosomiasis in endemic settings.
Acceptability and feasibility of genital self-sampling for the diagnosis of female genital schistosomiasis: a cross-sectional study in Zambia — Rutty Phiri et al., Wellcome open research
- urine
- self-collection
- acceptability
2020
Acutely concussed youth studied at home showed longer sleep latency and greater fatigue than controls, with altered overnight cortisol dynamics and lower bedtime melatonin; these home-based saliva and actigraphy measures highlight decentralised endpoints for acute concussion care.
Sleep and stress in the acute phase of concussion in youth — Maerlender et al., Sports medicine and health science
- saliva
- liquid
- self-collection
- pediatric
- hormones
- cortisol
- actigraphy
- multimodal
2020
A pilot study of 43 nursing home residents with dementia and chronic pain found that only eight participants could provide adequate saliva samples both before and after a six-week intervention, despite using salivary swabs. The cognitive impairment, difficulty obtaining sufficient sample volume, and cost suggest saliva collection may not be feasible for cortisol monitoring in this population, which has implications for decentralised stress assessment in vulnerable groups.
Using Salivary Cortisol as an Objective Measure of Physiological Stress in People With Dementia and Chronic Pain: A Pilot Feasibility Study — Pu et al., Biological research for nursing (paywalled)
- saliva
- self-collection
- acceptability
- cortisol
2020
The study compared detection rates and concordance of HPV16/18 E6 oncoprotein in urine, self-collected vaginal, and cervical specimens, demonstrating the potential for patient-collected samples to support decentralised cervical cancer screening in low-resource settings.
Detection of HPV E6 oncoprotein from urine via a novel immunochromatographic assay — Oliveira et al., PloS one
- urine
- self-collection
- validation
- hpv
- sti
2020
Among 181 HIV-positive men who have sex with men, four nucleic acid amplification assays showed variable sensitivity for detecting chlamydia and gonorrhea from self-collected rectal and urine specimens, with the ProbeTec GCQ assay significantly less sensitive for rectal gonorrhea. Urine-only screening would have missed more than 80 per cent of infections, underscoring the need for extragenital self-sampling in decentralised sexually transmitted infection diagnostics for this population.
Performance of 4 Molecular Assays for Detection of Chlamydia and Gonorrhea in a Sample of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Positive Men Who Have Sex With Men — Footman et al., Sexually transmitted diseases (paywalled)
- urine
- self-collection
- validation
- sti
2020
In 385 expectant couples, maternal psychological stress during late pregnancy strengthened the diurnal cortisol linkage between partners when saliva was self-collected at home. This demonstrates that home-based sampling can capture clinically relevant interpersonal physiological dynamics that may influence prenatal and postnatal health.
Maternal psychological stress moderates diurnal cortisol linkage in expectant fathers and mothers during late pregnancy — Braren et al., Psychoneuroendocrinology (paywalled)
- saliva
- self-collection
- hormones
- cortisol
2020
A survey of 39 kidney transplant recipients found that 85% preferred finger prick microsampling over venepuncture and 95% were interested in home self-sampling, highlighting the potential of decentralised blood collection to reduce patient burden and anxiety.
Kidney transplant recipient's perceptions of blood testing through microsampling and venepuncture — Scuderi et al., Bioanalysis (paywalled)
- blood
- dried
- vams
- dbs
- self-collection
- acceptability
2020
Home-collected saliva samples revealed that patients with central serous chorioretinopathy exhibit a higher cortisol awakening response and altered diurnal trajectories of salivary cortisol and α-amylase compared with controls. This demonstrates that self-sampling can capture chronobiological biomarker differences associated with stress-related eye disease, supporting decentralised collection for ophthalmic and neuroendocrine research.
Diurnal trajectories of salivary cortisol and α-amylase and psychological profiles in patients with central serous chorioretinopathy — Scarinci et al., Chronobiology international (paywalled)
- saliva
- self-collection
- hormones
- cortisol
- biomarkers
2020
The study found reasonable agreement between finger-prick dried blood spot CRP measurements and venous reference assays in 100 rheumatoid arthritis patients, particularly at low to mid-range CRP values, and showed that weekly self-collected DBS CRP monitoring improved flare detection specificity to 72.7% compared with 54.5% for minimal sampling, supporting decentralised microsampling for remote arthritis management.
Assessment of a dried blood spot C-reactive protein method to identify disease flares in rheumatoid arthritis patients — D'Cruz et al., Scientific reports
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- validation
- venous-agreement
- rpm
- multimodal
2020
Saliva presents a viable diagnostic alternative to nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 detection by rRT-PCR. Its use facilitates patient self-collection, minimises healthcare worker exposure, and offers a cost-effective approach for widespread testing.
Saliva as a Potential Diagnostic Specimen for COVID-19 Testing — Harikrishnan, The Journal of craniofacial surgery (paywalled)
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2020
The study reports a colorimetric assay using plasmonic gold nanostructures that change colour in saliva to detect hyperglycaemia, with a dipstick prototype developed for home testing. This non-invasive method could support large-scale diabetic screening and monitoring, overcoming bio-matrix interference issues that typically affect saliva-based glucose detection.
Colorimetric Nanoplasmonics to Spot Hyperglycemia From Saliva — Donati et al., Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology
- saliva
- self-collection
2020
The study found that pooling self-collected urine, pharyngeal and rectal specimens for chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing on GeneXpert near the point of care reduced sensitivity to around 90 per cent compared with individual specimen testing, missing nine infections across 388 participants, but pooling remained feasible and could save time and cost when screening at-risk populations.
Reduced sensitivity from pooled urine, pharyngeal and rectal specimens when using a molecular assay for the detection of chlamydia and gonorrhoea near the point of care — Badman et al., Sexual health (paywalled)
- urine
- self-collection
- validation
- sti
2020
In 401 COVID-19 patients, self-collected oropharyngeal and mid-turbinate swabs detected 75.1% of infections and saliva detected 74.3%, both inferior to the 82.8% sensitivity of healthcare worker-collected swabs. However, combining both self-collected samples yielded 86.5% sensitivity with 100% specificity, indicating self-collection can be a useful tool for decentralised SARS-CoV-2 screening despite lower individual test sensitivity.
The accuracy of healthcare worker versus self collected (2-in-1) Oropharyngeal and Bilateral Mid-Turbinate (OPMT) swabs and saliva samples for SARS-CoV-2 — Tan et al., PloS one
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2020
Women using a home-based, app-connected urine ovulation test achieved pregnancy in 25.4% of first cycles versus 14.7% for those not using tests (p<0.001), with a cumulative two-cycle rate of 40.8% versus 30.0% (p=0.026). This shows that decentralised hormone self-sampling can significantly improve conception rates while reducing intercourse frequency through better cycle timing.
Increased Likelihood of Pregnancy Using an App-Connected Ovulation Test System: A Randomized Controlled Trial — Johnson et al., Journal of women's health
- urine
- self-collection
- fertility
- hormones
- dct
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