Dried blood spot (DBS) sampling provides laboratories, healthcare providers, and research organizations with a reliable method for collecting biological samples remotely. With an at-home collection kit such as the RDA Spot DBS kit, patients or study participants can self-collect a small blood sample and return it by mail for analysis. For business partners, this means broader access to participants, reduced need for in-clinic visits, and simplified logistics for scaling programs in diagnostics, monitoring, and research.
Home dried blood spot sampling is minimally invasive, requiring only a small finger-prick. It is convenient, as no clinic appointment is necessary, and accessible for people in rural areas, those with mobility challenges, or participants in telemedicine programs. Once dried, samples are stable and can be shipped without refrigeration, simplifying logistics. These benefits make DBS especially useful for versatile applications including chronic disease monitoring, infectious disease screening, and population health programs with streamlined logistics.
Understanding the patient journey is an important part of maximizing the success of your medical product/service. Here is a step-by-step guide to at-home DBS collection.
Firstly, wait for the kit to reach room temperature. Wash your hands with warm, soapy water to improve circulation and reduce contamination risk. Good hydration beforehand also promotes blood flow. Remove the card from its sleeve and tear off the part reading KEEP THIS. Make sure you write the date of sampling directly on the card.
Stimulate blood flow, try waving your hand down for around twenty seconds. When ready, wipe your ring finger with the alcohol wipe and let it air dry. Next, remove the lancet’s transparent safety cap, place the smaller end of the lancet against the side of your ring finger tip, then press the lancet firmly until you hear a click.
To obtain the blood sample, squeeze the ring finger lightly. Don’t be tempted to squeeze or overly massage the finger; patience is key here. Once a large, hanging droplet of blood has formed, place it above the circle on the specimen card. Carefully, let the blood drop contact the paper but not the finger; you don’t need to press the spot into the card. Check if the blood sample matches the acceptable blood spot.
Lastly, attach the band-aid. The hard part is over.
Once collection is complete, carefully insert the card into the sleeve without touching the specimen area and let it dry for three hours at room temperature. After the spots are dry, place the sleeve into the foil bag and close it tightly. Do not remove the drying agent from inside the foil bag; this is what protects the sample from moisture.
Insert the sealed bag into the provided envelope and post it as soon as possible–the following day at the latest. If you do need to keep hold of the sample overnight, make sure it’s stored at ambient temperature and avoid direct sunlight. Mail the sample promptly using standard postal service or courier and wait for your results. You will find a unique access code for your results on the tear-off flap that you kept earlier.
Obtaining a good sample at home can sometimes take a little preparation. If blood flow is slow, warming the hands beforehand by rubbing them together or shaking them gently can help. During collection, keeping the hand below heart level will encourage drops to form more readily. It is important to ensure that each spot appears as a clean, uniform circle rather than layered or smeared, as this will make analysis more reliable. By paying attention to these details, patients can maximize the likelihood of producing high-quality samples that lead to accurate results.
The at-home dried blood spot procedure is simple, reliable, and designed with patient usability in mind—but its real power lies in how it supports healthcare and research organizations. By integrating RDA Spot’s proven DBS kits into your programs, you can expand access to participants, streamline logistics, and generate high-quality samples for accurate laboratory analysis.
Get in touch with RDA Spot today to explore how DBS solutions can strengthen your diagnostics, research, or population health initiatives.