Self Testing Is Trending

In a January 2026 survey reported by EMARKETER, 19% of consumers said a lab test was purchased online in the past year, up from 16% a year earlier.

A YouGov and Siemens Healthineers survey of 1,000 US adults found that 27% had sought blood testing from a lab provider independent of a doctor’s recommendation.

More companies are entering consumer-ordered lab testing, according to EMARKETER, and body scan services are also appearing more often.

Reasons vary from person to person. Among the reasons commonly mentioned:

• Learning what a personal baseline looks like
• Checking cholesterol, since food intake is one factor that can affect it
• Checking hormone levels, such as testosterone
• Looking at markers connected to aging
• Screening for general health concerns

Blood tests and stool tests are among the more straightforward sample-based formats. A result is one data point at one moment in time, and interpretation depends on medical history and context.

Hospital and doctor-ordered tests are traditionally ordered by a clinician after an assessment, and results become part of the medical record. Self-ordered tests are ordered directly through a lab or company, with the sample collected at a lab location or at home. How results are recorded and shared varies by provider and by state.

The CDC states that the only way to know whether cholesterol is high is to have it checked with a blood test. MedlinePlus explains that a cholesterol test measures cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, and that foods high in dietary fat can raise blood cholesterol.

Test results can be inaccurate, and a screening result is not a diagnosis. A 2024 University of Wollongong study of online tests sold in Australia concluded that only 11% were likely to benefit most consumers. EMARKETER also reports that many physicians are reluctant to interpret results ordered outside their own workflow because of missing medical history.