Abstract
Purpose: Patients’ preferences of the type of sample collections for clinical testing are currently unknown. The aims of this study were: (1) to assess patients’ preferences of three types of samples for clinical testing (saliva, urine and blood) both before and after collection and (2) to assess whether prior experiences with collection of saliva impacted patients responses.
Methods: Adult outpatients underwent collection of one sample each of saliva, urine and blood. Patients’ perceptions of comfort, convenience and easiness were assessed in pre-collection and post-collection questionnaires.
Results: Post-collection, patients’ endorsement of saliva as being the “most comfortable” and “most convenient” significantly declined (pre vs. post, 61.5% vs. 37.5% and 73.1% vs. 42.3%). However, saliva was still endorsed as the “most convenient” post-collection (compared to urine 33.7% and blood 24.0%).
Although not statistically significant, the proportion of patients who changed their response in terms of what sample was “easiest to collect at home” was considerably higher in the group with vs. without prior experience giving saliva (54.6% vs. 32.6%, p = 0.19 Fisher's exact test).
Conclusions: Overall, saliva remained as the most highly preferred sample to donate despite a decline in patients’ preferences of saliva donation after sample collection.
The results of the study are promising for future widespread patient acceptance of saliva as a diagnostic fluid.
