Health insurer UnitedHealth Group is contending that its researchers and clinicians have demonstrated that a self-collected test is as effective in identifying COVID-19 infections as the current clinician-collected test.
A study led by UnitedHealth Group Research & Development and clinicians at OptumCare, the health technology arm of UnitedHealth Group, found tests using self-administered swab tests accurately detected COVID-19 in more than 90 percent of positive patients, which is consistent with the clinician-administered test, officials said.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has updated its guidance based on the UnitedHealth Group research, allowing patients nationwide to self-administer swab tests for COVID-19. The study, which was prepared for a major peer-reviewed medical journal, included nearly 500 patients at OptumCare facilities in Washington State.
Officials believe that “widespread adoption of this less invasive test will reduce exposure for healthcare workers and improve overall testing efficiency across the country.”
According to the health insurer, the current COVID-19 test regimen requires a trained healthcare worker to collect samples from deep inside the patient’s nasal cavity. However, officials attest, “The process requires the use of personal protective equipment, is uncomfortable for the patient, and puts unnecessary strain on the health care system. The patient-administered testing method is significantly less invasive, allowing patients to swab the front part of the nostril and mid-nose.”
UnitedHealth Group Research & Development partnered with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the University of Washington and Quest Diagnostics to conduct the study. Gerard Cangelosi, professor, University of Washington Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, noted that “Nasal swabs are extremely easy for anyone to self-collect, in any setting.”
It’s been reported that the testing swabs currently being used—like many other medical supplies healthcare workers need for COVID-19 testing and treatment—are running in short supply. At the same, UnitedHealth’s chief medical officer emphasized that “the company is not calling this an in-home test, since currently no such tests have been backed by federal regulators,” according to a report in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Yuan-Po Tu, M.D., an infectious disease expert at The Everett Clinic, part of OptumCare, and study lead, said that “We know that broad, rapid and accurate testing is essential to addressing the COVID-19 crisis, yet the current clinician-administered process significantly limits testing capacity, puts frontline health care workers at risk of COVID-19 exposure, and is unpleasant for patients. Making simple, patient-administered testing widely available will substantially improve testing efficiency, while protecting healthcare workers and preserving urgently needed personal protective equipment, such as face masks, gowns and gloves.”
