At-home lab tests are growing in popularity. While many companies focus on specific tests, such as genetic testing or specific screenings, LetsGetChecked, a company with offices in New York, Dublin, and Toronto, hopes to be a central hub that allows people to regularly and affordably check a variety of basic lab work.
As with most at-home testing companies, customers go online to order a test kit. Within a few days, they receive a box with the necessary tools and instructions to collect a fingerprick blood sample. That sample is sent back to LetsGetChecked labs, analyzed, and the results are posted to the customer’s online account.
LetsGetChecked was founded in 2015 in Dublin, Ireland, by CEO Peter Foley. After completing his master’s thesis on Diagnostic Related Groups at University College Dublin, he found himself with an enormous amount of information on population health. “I could see that everything was going up at a global level including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases. All of these issues can be prevented but are not,” he says, “due to a lack of screening and prevention.” He founded LetsGetChecked to help prevent these issues by letting people be more proactive about their health.
In 2017, the company launched in the United States, which has become its largest market. Currently, LetsGetChecked offers a variety of tests, including tests for cholesterol and lipid levels, thyroid function, sexually transmitted infections, and colon cancer and diabetes screening.
For the millions of people without insurance, using LetsGetChecked is much less expensive than paying for an office visit and lab work out of pocket, says Foley. And, “for those who have health insurance, it’s all about the convenience of taking a test from the comfort of home or on the go,” he adds. “There is no longer a need to deviate from your busy schedule.”
An important feature of LetsGetChecked is that, though consumers may not see a doctor in the process of getting lab work done, the support is there if wanted. At any point in the testing process, consumers may request a consult from a medical team to help interpret their results and provide further guidance if needed. “There is always a human touch point available, for those who need it and to make the testing process personal.”
To Foley, that personalization is key. “Everything we provide to customers comes from one dedicated team and this is apparent in our relationships with customers and the feedback we receive from consumers… [they feel] as supported as they would be in a face-to-face situation with a doctor or clinician.”
Customers seem to be responding well to the approach, with monthly sales in the U.S. more than quadrupling since the start of the 2018.
“We want to continue to build a company that makes a difference in our customer’s lives,” says Foley. “We have incredible people working here that have a common interest in making healthcare more accessible.”
To learn more, check out www.LetsGetChecked.com. Read the LetsGetChecked blog at www.letsgetchecked.com/articles.
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