What you need to know
The self diagnostics market is made up of several diverse segments all aiming to give consumers insight into their health. For the two largest segments, blood pressure and blood glucose monitoring, testing is likely to be done out of necessity and can be covered by insurance, which impacts retail sales. Among the smaller segments, there has been success in UTI (urinary tract infection) tests and drug testing kits. Private label products dominate as strong brand identities are lacking in most segments. The future of self diagnostics will be directed by the role of technology in tracking results and generating actionable data and the use of non-invasive devices in blood glucose testing.
Definition
The self diagnostics market is defined as any product, device, or test which is used by the consumer, without medical or professional assistance, to identify or monitor a specific health condition. This includes chemically-based home testing kits or urine tests and electronic devices, such as monitors or meters.
For the purpose of this report, Mintel has included the following in its market size:
blood glucose monitors
blood pressure monitors
lancet/devices and related testing accessories
urine tests/kits
other home testing kits
Excluded from this report are tests carried out by hospitals, doctors, nurses, pharmacists or other healthcare workers. Tests performed at home and developed by private laboratories are mentioned in the report, with the retail test cost included in market size figures. Lab processing figures are not included, as private labs are effectively part of the medical community.
Also excluded are devices such as scales, which are used solely to measure weight, and other physical measuring devices, such as thermometers. Other tests and meters, which fit the definition of self-diagnostics but are not included in the market size of this report, but may be mentioned in the report, are those for:
allergies
blood cholesterol
body fat
coagulation test kits
cystic fibrosis
dietary or vitamin deficiencies
fecal test kits to identify bowel disorders
genetics (including paternity tests)
H. pylori
male fertility testing
osteoporosis
peak flow meters to identify asthma and lung disorders
