PocDoc, a digital health platform and provider of personal diagnostics, has introduced a smartphone-based test for a cardiovascular illness that it claims to be the first in the world.
Patients will be able to self-test at home later in 2022 after the PocDoc tests start in the spring, when they will initially be made available to healthcare distributors and businesses including private health care providers and pharmacies and to care workers and NHS providers.
This test will cover the full five-marker lipid panel that has been established as the gold standard for cardiovascular evaluation. The same markers can be evaluated on a smartphone in six minutes instead of waiting for days or weeks for a lab test to return the same results.
Heart disease (Cardiovascular disease) is among the leading causes of mortality, claiming approximately 18 million lives per year, according to World Health Organization research.
This revolutionary, world-first personal diagnostic technology for cardiovascular disease is currently completing NHS research trials with the goal of launching this Spring. It will allow everybody with a tablet or smartphone to perform an effective blood test from wherever they may be, with results available via the PocDoc app.
PocDoc testing will consist of a five-step process that includes:
- Downloading the PocDoc app and completing a health questionnaire
- Using a pricking needle to prick your finger and dropping your sample into the PocDoc lateral flow test
- Allowing six minutes for the test to develop
- Utilizing your smartphone and the PocDoc app to take a photo of your test
- Instant access to results and a personalized health evaluation via the app
The founders of PocDoc, Kiran and Steve Roest recognized how difficult it may be for people to receive a blood test through traditional means, which has only become more difficult as a result of the pandemic. The company’s objective is to enable anyone with a smartphone to take a blood test for a variety of major diseases and receive results, a health assessment, and recommendations in minutes, no matter where they are.
“Compounding the backlogs caused by COVID, the lack of access to blood tests for regular health screening is creating a ticking timebomb in public health,” stated Steve Roest, CEO and co-founder of PocDoc.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, yet unlike cancer, it can be mostly avoided. We believe that increasing access to testing is the key to fighting back, as early detection and continuing monitoring improve patient outcomes.
“Personal diagnostics can free up much-needed clinical time for the NHS while also assisting patients in detecting potential health issues sooner for a fraction of the cost of lab testing, thereby avoiding lengthy and costly treatment down the road and improving overall health outcomes.”
