Differences Between Clinic and Mail Order Tests

There is no loss of accuracy in completing the tests via mail order kit, providing that the instructions are followed. There is a dedicated helpline to assist you along the way.

Diet

Patients doing tests by kit need to follow the prescribed diet a full 2 days before each test, whereas patients having tests in clinic need to follow the diet a full 1 day before each test.

Duration of tests

Kit tests run for 3 hours, with the exception of the Glucose test, which takes 90 minutes.

When doing tests in clinic, they usually take just over 2 hours to complete, although some patients may take the full 3 hours if they have a slower transit time.

The test times vary between kit and clinic due to the following reasons:

  • When patients have the tests in clinic, staff are able to process each breath sample as it is made, which means the feedback is almost immediate, and there is one breath bag per patient. This way, staff can see almost immediately when the patient has produced a required response, and that they are free to leave.

  • With the kit, the breath samples are not processed until they are returned to the lab, and for this reason the tests via kit must run for the full time required – 3 hours in the case of the Lactulose, Fructose and Lactose Tests, and 90 minutes in the case of the Glucose Test.

Cost of Tests

The Mail Order Test Kits cost more than having your tests in clinic, in terms of basic price.

The components which are used in the kits and the processing of results are more costly than having tests at a clinic.

Kits require 10 sample bags per test, along with packaging, handling, labelling, postage and processing costs.

In clinic tests, each patient has their own single sample bag which is used throughout the test, as results are processed as the breath samples are made. This means that as soon as the required response has been recorded, patients are free to leave.

However, doing your tests by kit means you don’t have to leave home, take time off from work*, forgo income, incur travel and accommodation expenses, etc. When these issues come into play, patients in regional and interstate areas, or who cannot afford to have time away from their workplace or home, often find the kits a less expensive option overall.

Kits are ideally suited to people who work from home or office at a desk in a non-physically demanding environment.

While in clinic tests are supervised by staff, the test kits are simple to use, come with clear and easy to follow instructions, and all postage is pre-paid.

The kits are a convenient, reliable and cost-effective way for many patients to have these tests when these considerations are taken into account for their particular circumstance.

If you’d like further information on which method of testing would suit you, please contact us and we will provide this for you.

*Because exercise or physical exertion before or during testing can affect your results, it is not recommended you do tests by kit if you are a labourer or work in a physically demanding role.