Getting Important Blood Draws from Home—All Your Questions Answered About RemoTraC™ 

Before COVID-19, most kidney- and heart-transplant recipients got their weekly or monthly blood tests at the hospital or a local blood-draw center. When COVID-19 touched down, however, hospitals became places where exposure to the coronavirus was higher.

Patients who are on immunosuppression—such as transplant recipients—are likely to be at a higher risk of severe infection and associated complications of COVID-19.1 Therefore, it is critical that transplant recipients have routine access to their transplant-lab testing in environments that limit their exposure to the coronavirus.

How do you solve such a dilemma?

Since March 2020, over 5,000 transplant recipients have turned to RemoTraC.

What is RemoTraC?

RemoTraC is a service that brings a phlebotomist to your home to draw your blood for a panel of standard transplant labs (see “Which Labs Are Included in the RemoTraC Kit?” below) as well as AlloSure® or AlloMap® surveillance tests.

What are the Benefits of the Doing a Blood Draw at Home?

  • It is convenient because the phlebotomist comes to you—instead of vice-versa
  • It is the perfect telemedicine solution, because you can first see your doctor online and then get your lab done from the comfort of your home, rather than in person (or even better, before your telemedicine appointment so you can review the results together)
  • It limits your exposure by reducing unnecessary visits to busy labs or hospitals
  • It is cost-effective because you are not responsible for any additional out-of-pocket costs beyond what you normally pay in a lab setting

How Can I Sign Up for RemoTraC to Get My Labs?

  • Register your interest in RemoTraC here
  • A CareDx Patient Care Manager (PCM) will contact you by phone
  • They will work with your doctor or center to ensure RemoTraC is right for you
  • Once your doctor submits a lab order, the PCM will schedule a mobile phlebotomist to perform a blood draw for you

What Happens After I Have Scheduled a RemoTraC?

  • Your RemoTraC lab kit will be mailed to your home
  • Your mobile phlebotomist is then notified by your PCM of the orders—CareDx has over 10,000 mobile phlebotomists nationwide, so chances are there is one near you

What to Expect When the Mobile Phlebotomist Arrives at Your Home?

  • They will arrive wearing a mask and will ask you to do the same
  • If you need a mask, you will be able to find one in your RemoTraC kit
  • Feel free to find a location in which you are comfortable—for some this might be outdoors
  • The mobile phlebotomist may ask you to use a small table to place his or her equipment on

Which Labs are Included in the RemoTraC Kit?

Kidney Transplant Labs

  • AlloSure® or KidneyCare
  • Complete Blood Count
  • Anti-rejection-med levels (eg., Tacrolimus, Sirolimus, Cyclosporin, Everolimus)
  • Urinary Protein/Creatinine Ratio
  • Complete Metabolic Profile + Mg + Phos
  • Viral PCR (BK/CMV/EBV)
  • Urinary Protein / Creatinine Ratio

Heart Transplant Labs

  • AlloMap or HeartCare
  • Complete Blood Count
  • Anti-rejection-med levels (eg., Tacrolimus, Sirolimus, Cyclosporin, Everolimus)
  • BNP
  • Comprehensive Metabolic Panel + Mg + Phos
  • Viral PCR (BK/CMV/EBV)

How Much Will All of This Cost?

  • There is no fee for the mobile-phlebotomy service
  • CareDx will ensure you pay no additional out-of-pocket costs beyond what you typically pay for your labs

1https://www.cureus.com/articles/40799-outcomes-of-covid-19-in-solid-organ-transplants