Erika is the CEO and Co-Founder of Sanguina, an Atlanta-based biotech company that provides digital health wellness & diagnostic screening.
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The healthcare landscape in the United States is continuously evolving, and one area that has seen significant growth is the implementation of blood health management tools. These tools, which range from blood donation testing to new diagnostic tests to wearable technologies, are transforming how providers and individuals approach treatment and preventative care as it relates to blood in the U.S.
Blood is part of the circulatory system that circulates and transports oxygen, carbon dioxide, infection-fighting white blood cells, clot-forming platelets and waste from the body. How much blood you have and how your blood behaves can indicate both acute and chronic conditions.
First Examples Of Blood Health Testing
In the past few decades, the U.S. blood donation process has incorporated simple hemoglobin level testing for blood donors to ensure eligibility. After donation, blood is also screened for several pathogens via viral marker tests to ensure it is safe to transfuse into a recipient. These simple tests have become ubiquitous, and as a result, the blood donation process and supply are safer than ever.
Furthermore, automated data systems have enabled sustainable management of testing and results. Currently, the market for blood bank management software is expected to rise at a considerable rate between 2022 and 2030. These software programs help hospitals and donor organizations manage the collection, testing, processing, tracking and distribution of blood products, making them an essential tool in blood health management. This is a real-life example of a worldwide testament to the impact of technology on the adoption of blood health and technological advances.
Blood pressure testing is another early example of blood health as it has been used as a metric for many diseases and conditions, including the progression of cardiovascular disease and pregnancy complications. In the past, blood pressure measurement relied on tools like the mercury sphygmomanometer despite its limitations. However, with advancements such as the oscillometric method in the 20th century, we saw a transformation in how this vital health metric was measured. Today, we have sophisticated, user-friendly devices that serve as a critical tool in global health management.
Current And Future Blood Health Testing
Wearable and smartphone mobile app technologies are poised to play an important role in blood health management. Recently, pulse oximeter technologies, which measure the oxygen saturation level in the blood, have been incorporated into smartwatches and fitness watches for continuous monitoring. Changes in blood oxygen or oximetry measurements can indicate changes in how much oxygen-rich blood is being carried, which can indicate acute stresses such as exercise or even highlight underlying medical conditions.
Smartphones and mobile application technologies have also enabled instant electrocardiogram (EKG) measurements for people with and without heart conditions to detect arrhythmias and irregular or abnormal heart rhythms in real time. Many condition-specific digital journals, logs and diaries assist users in managing symptoms for individual and population blood health management.
Blood health management tools and developments in digital, smartphone and wearable sensor technologies are advancing in tandem to enable people to understand more about their blood health and communicate more effectively with their caregivers. The growth is having a significant impact on the healthcare landscape in the U.S., from improving patient safety and outcomes to reducing treatment costs and advancing health equity. As technology evolves, we can expect these tools to become even more integral to our approach to blood health.
In addition to advances that allow hospitals to reduce waste and save costs, there are also many home blood collection kits available, wherein a user will purchase a blood collection kit, collect a fingerstick blood sample at home and mail it in for testing. In a matter of days, they receive a full blood test report detailing cholesterol, metabolic health or even hormone test results in their inbox.
According to a forecast by Market Research Future, the market for blood testing is expected to expand significantly, from an estimated value of 96.57 billion USD in 2023 to 152.39 billion USD by 2030. This growth reflects a "compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.90% throughout the forecast period from 2023 to 2030." For more details, see the full report at Market Research Future. This burgeoning market underscores the increasing importance and reliance on blood testing technologies, highlighting a significant shift toward proactive health management and diagnostics.
Technology is poised to have a profound impact on blood health for both reactive and proactive approaches to health and wellness. The future of blood health will likely be a combination of accessible blood testing with easily communicable results between patient and doctor via digital monitoring and tracking to improve outcomes and quality of life.
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