Will Doctors Take My Home Test Seriously?

Whether your doctor will take a home test seriously or not depends on several factors. Firstly, it depends on what you have tested for, and secondly, it depends on your symptoms. When you suspect a contagious disease like chlamydia or syphilis and receive a positive test result, the infectious disease specialist will definitely take it seriously!

However, when it comes to diseases that are not considered contagious, your doctor may not think you need further examination and care. But does that mean doctors consider home tests as a substitute for consultation and care with a doctor?

No, of course not, and that's why you may sometimes feel that your doctor does not take your home test seriously when they ask many questions that may make it seem like your positive test is not accepted.

There are tests that improve healthcare

One important thing to point out is that there are tests that improve healthcare. A study with patients who measured their cholesterol levels at home showed that this led to better medication adherence. Here, doctors could see clearly that patients who tested at home were much better at following the prescribed treatment.

What these types of tests have in common with other home tests like blood in stool tests, ovulation tests, and CRP value tests is the responsibility. When you test at home, it means you take greater responsibility for your health and any necessary treatment. For doctors, this can be a significant help, whether it concerns pregnancy or an illness.

Furthermore, we can see that healthcare is not overloaded in the same way when you can test at home instead of sitting in a chair at a local healthcare center. This is something doctors take very seriously and which becomes particularly significant during pandemics.

Doctor Criticism of Home Tests

Of course, there has been criticism from doctors against home tests, and perhaps this is what you think about when you hesitate to discuss your test results with your general practitioner or through an online medical service.

Among other things, doctors have warned against genetic self-tests that you can take at home. These tests are not only meant to show you where your great-great-granduncle resided. They also indicate genetic predispositions to hereditary diseases. Genetic home tests can also provide information about genes that imply lifestyle adjustments to avoid disease development.

Doctors have criticized these tests, stating that they are pointless and may not even provide an accurate answer. Even if the test practically shows a certain gene mutation, much more analysis is needed to get a proper answer to the question of whether this implies an increased risk of disease.

Now, this pertains to a specific type of test that can make the job harder for doctors when they receive questions from people who worry after such a test. This cannot be compared to the responsible act of taking a home test for a sexually transmitted disease and then contacting healthcare for follow-up.

Home Tests Are Getting Better and Better

Doctors are also well aware that research underlying home tests is advancing. Many of the home tests that were previously dismissed as inadequate have improved so that they can be relied upon to confirm infections or illnesses.

Test strips are improving, and home test kits are easier to handle correctly. This means that doctors do not dismiss test results as irrelevant at all. In some cases, they may request an additional test to confirm, but the home test is an important tool when you turn to a doctor for a diagnosis.

Nowadays, there are tests that provide incredibly fast results. So, it's not just that you as an individual can easily perform a test that was previously only possible in a lab. You don't have to wait a week for results, and this changes how we can manage the spread of infections.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, many doctors realized that home tests were a great help in reducing the number of people seeking medical care just to confirm the infection. This allowed more room for people with more severe symptoms who needed the doctor's time more than those with mild cold symptoms who could self-treat at home.

Examination and Care are Important

It's also important to distinguish between criticism of the use of tests and the test itself. Even if doctors agree that home tests for various infections work and provide reliable results, criticism is directed at how these tests are used.

Many people do not realize that home tests are not the same as a diagnosis. Just because you can find out whether you have been infected does not make you a doctor who, together with Google, can find the best possible treatment. But this is often what happens.

Symptoms can be the same for different diseases, and it's important to have a comprehensive understanding of a person's perceived health issues. This is also something we often emphasize regarding our tests. It's true that they provide very reliable results, but they are by no means a substitute for a diagnosis and treatment plan from a healthcare provider.

Criticism of home tests as a diagnosis is valid, and in this way, we can probably say that doctors will continue not to take this type of diagnosis seriously. But when you have symptoms and concerns about a particular infection and also have a home test confirming it, the doctor will undoubtedly take this into account in their analysis and treatment recommendations.

When you receive many follow-up questions that make it seem like the doctor does not take your home test seriously, you should be glad for it. It shows that the doctor is doing their job and trying to get the important overall picture that is necessary for you to receive the correct diagnosis and the best possible treatment.