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The Pros and Cons of a Home Kit
What exactly is a paternity home test kit? Basically a home kit contains all the materials and instructions required for you to collect your own DNA samples that’ll be analyzed by the laboratory. Most home kits, such as those offered by AccuMolecular Diagnostics, contain FDA approved DNA preservation pads (FTA Cards), cotton swab applicators, sample envelopes, plastic gloves, and step-by-step instructions on how to collect the DNA samples. In the home kit you’ll also receive paper work to help us identify your samples in the laboratory. Home kits have made testing reachable to anyone with a mailing address; however, they do have their pros and cons.The biggest advantage to home kits is the convenience. You can do everything from your home without having to drive to a facility. This is helpful if you have a changing schedule or if transportation is an issue. If you have questions during the process of collecting samples using a home kit, you can easily call AccuMolecular Diagnostics for assistance over the phone. This level of convenience is what draws many to using the home kit.
Another advantage to home kits is the privacy and confidentiality. Although AccuMolecular Diagnostics has strict and binding confidentiality on all tests, paternity testing is still a taboo subject for some people and the added privacy of not having to deal in person is an added benefit. AccuMolecular Diagnostics goes the extra mile of preserving your privacy by shipping the kits in discreet packaging and there’s no reference to paternity or DNA testing in your credit card statement. The only thing you’ll see in your credit card statement is “AccuMolecular Diagnostics”, which unlike other laboratories that only specialize in paternity testing; we’re a full service diagnostics laboratory conducting over 2500+ blood and DNA tests.
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The advantages are plentiful for paternity home kits, but when evaluating, it’s good to consider the negatives. One of the negatives to consider is the potential for delays due to inaccurate sample collection.
DNA counselors and experts have countless years of experience in the proper technique in collecting DNA samples. Although the paternity home kits have easy instructions that take you step-by-step, chances are that it would probably be your first time having to collect samples for a DNA paternity test. If there isn’t enough DNA material in the preservation pad for the laboratory to conduct the paternity test, another home kit would have to be shipped out and the procedure repeated.
Even if the DNA samples are collected correctly, the most important thing to consider when deciding on a home kit is the intended use of the test results.
For test results to be admissible in court or to be used for legal purposes such as insurance, immigration, or child support, there must be a Certified Chain-of-Custody Report along with a Certified Positive Patient ID Report. The reports are validated and enforced through fingerprints, government-issued ID’s, and photos taken at the time of testing. These two reports are required to show that the samples were not tampered with or switched prior to the DNA test. Additionally, to properly defend a chain-of-custody or positive patient ID, these forms must be filled out by an individual that is not directly involved or affected by the results of the test. This is vital for any legal case because if they don’t exist then any attorney can easily have the results be thrown out of court.
The level of detail and credibility required for the chain-of-custody and positive patient ID is not achievable through samples collected via a paternity home kit. The home kit introduces many doubts and questions that’ll make it difficult to defend the validity of a DNA test with samples collected by those directly involved in the test. Although some laboratories claim to cover the legal basis with their home kits, you’ll be exposing yourself to a likely risk of your test results being thrown out of court upon any cross-examination by an opposing attorney. Don’t take the risk, do it right from the beginning.
The best method to obtain a paternity test for legal purposes is to have the laboratory collect the samples. AccuMolecular Diagnostics has a network of collection facilities in most cities across the nation that’ll meet the legal requirements for the results to be admissible in court. For this method, you can call AccuMolecular Diagnostics directly to arrange for the sample collections or you can submit a schedule appointment request online and we’ll contact you with confirmation details. Usually a collection facility fee will be added on to the price of the test which will vary by location. However, if you live in or near San Antonio, Texas, you can walk in to our testing laboratory and have your samples collected with all the legal requirements met without incurring an additional fee.
AccuMolecular Diagnostics is a leading blood and genetic testing facility based in San Antonio, Texas with collection sites nationwide. The laboratory has achieved several levels of accreditation by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), College of American Pathologists (CAP), and the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
© 2008, AccuMolecular Diagnostics. This copyrighted article can not be copied, transmitted, or used without the express written consent of AccuMolecular Diagnostics.
