What’s Hot in Healthcare: More at-home tests for menopause, allergies, vitamin deficiency and UTIs

Advances in healthcare are coming fast, especially when it comes to medical tests you can do in your home. While at-home tests are nothing new, COVID-19 got people more used to the idea. There has been a recent increase in the number and breadth of at-home tests available. You can now test yourself at home for STDs, diabetes, and food allergies, as well as test your levels of hormones, vitamins, thyroid and cholesterol.

Some of the tests you can buy right off the shelves of South Florida pharmacies, or order them online. Some tests, like those for UTIs and STDs, can be at your home in as fast as 30 minutes from companies like GoPuff.com. Some tests may require a prescription from a doctor with whom you can do a virtual visit on various websites. Prices for at-home tests can range from $20 to $200 and they rarely are covered by insurance.

Lab testing performed at home, by consumers, is projected to be a $2 billion industry by 2025, and many big companies are starting to offer their products and services to meet the demand.

The biggest caveat is you have to follow directions carefully to get accurate results.

Here are some popular at-home tests and what a South Florida doctor says about them:

For menopause: Clearblue, known for its self-tests for pregnancy and fertility, now has a test that can assess which stage of menopause a woman is experiencing. The test measures levels of follicle-stimulating hormone in urine over five days and paired with an app to generate a personalized report. The results can tell you if you are in perimenopause, but it can be tricky because that stage can last for years. You are considered in actual menopause when you miss 12 consecutive menstrual cycles.

For allergies: More than a dozen types of at-home allergy tests are now on the market. While they are not a substitute for an in-office skin test, they still could be helpful. Instead of having blood drawn at a lab or clinic, you’ll receive a kit in the mail with everything necessary to take a sample. The majority of the tests use a simple finger-prick method to draw a blood sample for you to mail to a lab for testing. The lab will then expose your blood sample to the various allergens you want to test for and look for an antibody reaction. If blood makes you woozy, you can also use hair. You can test for seasonal allergens, pet or insect allergens, and food sensitivities. Some of the companies that sell these tests are Test My Allergy, Everlywell and AccesaLabs.

For vitamin deficiency: LetsGetChecked and Quest Heath both sell tests that use a finger-prick blood sample that gets mailed to the lab. If you find you are deficient in a vitamin, and many people are deficient in Vitamin D, you can choose to schedule a virtual consultation with a healthcare provider to review your results (for an added cost).

For UTIs: Quest Health now sells a test that checks urine for possible presence of white blood cells (Leukocytes) and Nitrite, indicators of a urinary tract infection. When you’re ready to use your test, you’ll connect live with a telehealth proctor at eMed to walk you through collection instructions. If you need a medication, an eMed clinician can prescribe one. You also can buy over-the-counter UTI dipstick tests at your local pharmacy or online that check for white blood cells and bacteria in the urine. “If you follow the instructions, have symptoms and have Nitrite or white blood cells in the urine, you probably have an infection,” said Dr. Steven Reznick, a Boca Raton internist.

Overall he advises approaching at-home tests cautiously. “Are they approved by the FDA? What does your physician say about them?” he suggests you consider.

Reznick says you also want to make sure you aren’t using an expired test. “If you are going to do an at-home test, make sure you read the instructions and follow them. It should be common sense, but unfortunately it isn’t.”

Two South Florida friends create Accessory Drain Bags for Breast Cancer Patients

Longtime South Florida friends Pam Kelsky and Gaby Mann have come up with a comfortable and convenient method of managing post-operative surgical drains after breast cancer surgery. Kelsky, 48, wanted a way to wear surgical drains discreetly in public during the recuperation period after she underwent breast cancer surgery in February 2019.

She and Mann created soft polyester, waterproof bags that comfortably carry and conceal the surgical drains. An adjustable strap hangs around the user’s neck or shoulder to minimize the bag’s interaction with sensitive areas.

They founded bcalmed to make and distribute the bags. The nonprofit organization works with hospitals, clinics and surgeons to make the drain bags available for patients to wear home after breast cancer surgery. The organization is collaborating with Cleveland Clinic Weston’s Foundation to distribute the bags to patients free of charge. So far, 6,000 bags have been produced and are available to any cancer patient.

Versions of the bag are available for women and men.

“We hope that the bag will eliminate the concern for mastectomy patients of how to manage their drains.” Mann said.

In the future, they plan to produce a bcalmed kit that includes bags, a seat belt cushion, and a Post Op Top.

New helicopters will respond to emergencies in Palm Beach

While Broward County reels from the crash of one of its rescue helicopters last month, Palm Beach County Health Care District announced the delivery of the first of two Leonardo AW169 helicopters that will transport trauma patients.

The helicopters use the newest technology, a longitudinal roll-on stretcher system that minimizes patient movement during loading and unloading. The Trauma Hawk medical team will no longer need to transfer patients onto hospital stretchers at the helipad to take them to the one of the county’s two Level 1 trauma centers. This will save crucial minutes during lifesaving missions, according to the Health Care District.

“These state-of-the-art helicopters will provide swift and efficient air transportation to enhance patient access to critical medical services and improved healthcare outcomes,” said Darcy J. Davis, CEO of the Health Care District.

The Leonardo AW169 helicopters will replace the current Sikorsky S76-C+ aircraft, which have served the Health Care District and Palm Beach County since 1999. However, the existing helicopters will remain in service through the end of the year while the flight team and mechanics complete specialized training.

“These new aircraft are a leap forward in technology for both the pilots and the medical crews,” said Jay Mazzone, the Health Care District’s director of aeromedical transportation. “With advanced avionics, larger and brighter displays, and the added capability of night vision goggles, we are moving into the next generation of aircraft that will help us maintain and enhance our relentless focus on safety.”

Help is on the way for South Floridians prone to mosquito bites

Florida has been plagued by a recent rash of mosquito-borne illnesses, including malaria, which surfaced this summer in Sarasota.

But now a team of researchers from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences will tackle the mosquito problem.

With a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the UF researchers will develop a low-cost mosquito trap to lure the insects using certain scents and fragrances. “We expect that our approach will capture a greater diversity of mosquito species,” said Yoosook Lee, assistant professor of entomology and nematology at the UF/IFAS Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory.

In addition to the trap, the researchers will create a web-based dashboard for all the states in the Southeast to map the presence of invasive mosquitos. The researchers believe the dashboard will improve mosquito surveillance by promoting data sharing and communication.

Every year, Florida faces challenges from mosquito-transmitted diseases like dengue virus, West Nile virus, eastern equine encephalitis virus, chikungunya virus and more recently, locally transmitted malaria. Researchers says Florida’s proximity to the tropics and climate conditions make it ideal for non-native mosquito species to end up in the Sunshine State. As many as 17 non-native mosquito species already have been identified in Florida. Researchers are concerned about the rate and frequency of new species in Florida. By identifying the species and their prevalence through improved surveillance, the researchers will know when new species have arrived to react faster and reduce potential health and safety risks.

Health insurance for real estate professionals

RLTY, a real estate organization that fronts commission to agents, has created a statewide healthcare initiative for Florida’s real estate agents and contractors. Anyone in the industry considered a 1099 employee qualifies to participate. RLTY has partnered with UnitedHealthcare to help real estate professionals get healthcare coverage.

An agent who specializes in providing coverage to the self-employed will customize plans for individuals. “Instead of waiting in a queue to buy insurance on the open market, there will be no waiting and the person on the other end of the line will be a licensed insurance agent who can offer a wide range of plans and prices,” said Erynn McCabe, vice president of operations, RLTY “They will go step-by-step to help you apply.”

What’s Hot in Healthcare is a monthly feature of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. To submit content, contact health reporter Cindy Goodman at cgoodman@sunsentinel.com.