Over-the-Counter Strep A Testing: Opportunities and Challenges for Consumer Diagnostics
This review examines the emerging landscape of over-the-counter and direct-to-consumer tests for Group A Streptococcus pharyngitis. Accurate home-based strep testing could support antibiotic stewardship, reduce disease transmission, and prevent serious complications including rheumatic heart disease. The authors analyse current test limitations and discuss regulatory requirements and technological advances needed to make OTC strep testing reliable for consumer use.
The original study
Over-the-counter and direct-to-consumer testing for Group A streptococcus.
- Authors
- Xiao Y, Leung EKY
- Journal
- Clinical biochemistry
- Type
- Review, Journal Article
- PMID
- 35405137
Original abstract
Over-the-counter (OTC) and direct-to-consumer (DTC) tests have been gaining popularity due to their potential to provide accurate and quick diagnostic results without any test order from healthcare professionals, while providing patients the opportunity to actively engage in their own health management. Group A streptococcus is a common transmissible pathogen that leads to acute pharyngitis. Accurate and timely diagnosis of Group A streptococcus pharyngitis is critical to urge patients to seek professional healthcare, to support antibiotic stewardship, to reduce disease transmission, and to prevent rare but potentially life-threatening complications such as acute rheumatic fever, rheumatic heart disease, and poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis. This review provides an overview for OTC and DTC testing in general, discusses the clinical utilization of Group A streptococcus testing, analyzes the limitations and challenges of current Group A streptococcus testing methodologies if developed into OTC or DTC tests. Finally, this review provides an outlook for future developments that would further improve healthcare outcomes.