The Alliance for Accessible Patient-Centered Testing

Our Mission

The Alliance for Accessible Patient-Centered Testing (AAPT) is dedicated to advancing access to healthcare through self-collected testing. AAPT is focused on advocating for:

• Appropriate reimbursement self-collected testing and
  related services
• Clear Federal regulations
• Updated guidelines to improve accessibility and
  support innovation
• Our aim is to reduce and remove geographic, financial, and stigma barriers to healthcare through self-collected testing

Self-Collected Testing Improves Access

Self-collected testing refers to diagnostic tests that individuals can perform on their own without the assistance of a healthcare provider or clinician to collect the testing sample. This type of testing typically involves the collection of small biological samples (such as saliva, urine, or blood) that are then sent to a laboratory to be analyzed for the presence of specific markers or indicators of disease. A designated healthcare provider always authorizes an order to ensure appropriate oversight, provide consultation with collection and test results, and support additional linkage to care when further medical intervention or treatment is necessary.

Self-collected testing provides a private and convenient option for patients, promoting early detection and management of diseases without the need for in-person visits. This innovative testing modality is particularly beneficial for individuals with sensitive health conditions and is crucial for high-risk and underserved populations. Ensuring access to this preferred method of specimen collection is particularly important for patients in rural or medically underserved areas. Studies show that regardless of geographical location, patients prefer self-collected testing. Additionally, patients can be linked to follow-up care, which helps improve outcomes and address conditions that may have otherwise gone untreated.

Self-collected testing can help address a variety of conditions and issues, including:

• Chronic Disease (i.e., diabetes, high cholesterol)
• Women’s & Men’s Health
• Sexual Health
• Colorectal Screening
• Vitamin D Screening
• Heavy Metals Screening
• Lyme Disease Screening
• Substance Use Disorder Treatment
• Fertility Screening
• Cancer Screening
• Genetic Screening

Policy

AAPT’s Advocacy Goals

• Appropriate codes for reimbursement of self-collected testing
• Clear, implementable Federal regulations for self-collected tests without undue burden that would stifle innovation & Federal testing guidelines that allow site-agnostic testing.
• Educating and empowering patients around how critical self-collected testing is to truly improve healthcare access through telehealth
• Improving accessibility, transparency, and consistency of information regarding self-collected testing
• Reducing and removing geographic, financial, and stigma barriers related to self-collected testing

Explore all AAPT's comment letters to Congress and Federal health agencies here.

Meet Our Members

Contact us

If you’d like to help advance access to healthcare through the use of self-collected testing, please contact us.