As we move into 2023, the healthcare industry faces multiple challenges — physician shortages, escalating mental health needs, care-access inequities, financial strains and the continued rise in preventable chronic diseases among U.S. adults. 

One small silver lining of these challenging times is the huge strides we’ve made in innovating new, cost-effective technologies that help to advance care and improve overall health. One of the biggest examples is the new availability of sophisticated at-home screening tools that help raise individuals' health awareness and engagement and stave off the development and escalation of chronic disease. 

On November 1, Reperio secured its first patent for the innovative technology that powers our flagship biometric home-based screening kit. The Bluetooth-integrated screening system allows us to connect FDA-cleared medical devices with an accompanying app so that users can measure key health metrics from the comfort of their home, and get their results instantly instead of waiting weeks for traditional lab results. 

Given what’s at stake, this is a big deal. Chronic diseases cost the U.S. an estimated $3.7 trillion per year, including lost economic productivity. Current studies suggest 60% of Americans live with at least one chronic health condition such as diabetes or hypertension, which raises their risk for sickness and preventable events like heart attacks.  

Health metrics derived from Reperio’s kit can help employers, payers and other healthcare stakeholders gain comprehensive insight into the overall health and well-being of their constituents and proactively mitigate costly chronic diseases — while meeting patient and employee needs for convenience, privacy and accessibility. 

Many healthy patients in their 20s and 30s skip annual checkups. Why? Convenience is one of the top-cited reasons among millennial patients for avoiding in-person care. But there’s a huge risk to being in the dark about one’s own health. As many as one in four patients with diabetes don’t know they have it, and many seemingly fit 20-somethings have cholesterol levels worrisome enough to significantly raise their risk of various chronic health conditions. 

The good news is that with early detection and prevention, many chronic conditions are avoidable. That’s where Reperio can help.  

Unlike a traditional lab setting or mail-in blood cards, metrics derived from Reperio’s at-home screenings provide instant results about BMI, cholesterol, blood sugar levels and more. Accessible from the comfort of their home, individuals can leverage this insight to quickly identify out-of-range results and receive advice on recommended lifestyle changes or when to follow-up with their primary care provider. The medical devices in the Reperio screening kit are Bluetooth-connected, so information is processed immediately and securely viewable within the accompanying app.

While we’re thrilled that we were granted our first patent, we’re even more excited for how this technology can be applied to change the course and trajectory of preventive medicine and at-home screenings. We’re only in the early phases of what’s possible for self-screening and disease prevention, and we hope to bring new products to market that will help even more patients have the actionable insights they need to lead their healthiest lives.