What is Direct Access Testing (DAT)? A Brief Overview

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By Yhordan Serpentini | September 14, 2022

Throughout your lifetime, you have probably recieved multiple laboratory testings, or have been requested by your doctor(s) to retrieve multiple samples of your bodily fluids–either mucus, blood, saliva, urine, or plasma, as they are the most common types–to be “sent to the lab” for analysis and testing.

Sometimes, having these tests done or having your healthcare practitioner be aware of these tests can be embarrassing for the average patient. If you care more about your healthcare privacy, then you are in luck because there is a wide range of available medical practices you can take to receive testing, one of them being Direct Access Testing, or DAT for short. So, what is Direct Access Testing (DAT)?

What is Direct Access Testing (DAT)? A Brief Overview

What is DAT?

Direct Access Testing (DAT), also known as Direct-To-Consumer (DTC) testing, or simply Patient-Authorized Testing (PAT), is the medical practice where consumers and/or patients are allowed to authorize an order for laboratory testing, without the need for consultation with their doctor or healthcare practitioner.

Typically, laboratory testing is authorized and ordered by your healthcare practitioner; however, if you wish to receive laboratory testing without wanting to go through the hassle of contacting and waiting, you can simply order a test directly through a laboratory testing facility. 

The convenience, as well as the ability to provide an opportunity for you to take more active roles in your healthcare, is why DAT is increasingly trending. This is also not to be confused with at-home testing, or Point-of-Care (POC) testing, which are sometimes confused for DAT.

POC testing simply means that you can receive lab testing at the convenience of wherever you are already receiving medical care; at-home testing, is a little more self-explanatory, but it simply means you can be tested directly from your home, such as self-testing.

What Type of Tests Can DAT Provide?

DAT can provide a wide range of available testing, but the degree of it mainly depends on which U.S. states permit them. Recently, due to the ever-increasing popularity of DAT, laboratory testing facilities have expanded to offer clinical testing without the requirement of consultation. That being said, most DAT labs are limited to conducting simple tests related to your general health.

The majority of direct access testing labs will be conducted as any of the following:

  • Complete Blood Counts (CBC)
  • Cholesterol
  • Urine Cultures
  • Throat Cultures
  • STD & STI Testing
  • HIV Testing
  • HIV Antibody Testing
  • Pregnancy Testing
  • Drug Screenings
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Testing
  • Chemistry Panels
  • Thyroid Testing
  • Bloodwork & Blood Type
  • Genetic Testing
  • Blood Glucose Testing–for Diabetes Mellitus

There are other available clinical tests that can be available for DAT; however, as mentioned earlier, it varies depending on if the state you live in permits them–you might have to do a bit of research with your local laboratory testing facility.

Other Benefits of DAT

Outside of the convenience of ordering directly to the laboratory testing facilities, instead of through your healthcare practitioner, DAT comes with a few additional benefits. Of course, the biggest one being consumer empowerment, as it offers you the opportunity of taking matters into your own hands rather than relying on a doctor. Other benefits are rapid turnaround time, early disease detections or early diagnosis, patient privacy, and the potential for healthcare cost reductions.

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