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Clara Spot: At-Home hCG Testing, Explained
Accurate hCG blood testing, no lab visit needed. The Clara Spot™ Testing Service gives you a private, simple way to monitor quantitative hCG levels at home, using finger stick blood samples collected a few days apart. Your provider orders the test, you collect at home, and a certified lab does the rest.
Order Clara Spot from Invictus Pharmacy →
What Clara Spot is
Clara Spot is an at-home blood collection and testing service for monitoring hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), the pregnancy hormone, without a trip to a lab or a venous blood draw. It is a diagnostic test, not a medication: there is nothing to take, and no dose, drug interaction or contraindication to worry about.
Measuring hCG levels
During pregnancy, the body makes a hormone called hCG. Blood samples collected a few days apart help determine how the level of hCG in your body is changing. That trend, not a single number, is what helps your provider understand what is happening.
Who it is for
hCG monitoring is most often used in two situations:
Confirming that hCG levels are falling as expected after a pregnancy loss or a medication abortion.
Following hCG levels over time in early pregnancy.
Clara Spot is meant to be used alongside your prescriber or care team, who decide when to test and what the results mean for you.
How the Clara Spot Testing Service works
The testing service ordered by your health care provider includes everything needed to collect up to two finger stick blood samples, a prepaid FedEx® return envelope, and secure access to your results and video instructions in a HIPAA-compliant patient portal.
Register your Sample Card(s). Set up your online portal account, then register each Sample Card with your name, Provider ID, date of sample collection and the Sample ID printed on the card. This is what lets your provider see your results.
Collect your sample(s). Your provider may ask for two samples collected a few days apart. The video in the portal and the written instructions in your kit walk you through each step.
Send your samples to the lab. Place each Sample Card in its Sample Bag, seal it, and mail everything to the CAP-accredited, CLIA-certified laboratory in the prepaid 2-day FedEx envelope. Drop it at any FedEx location or schedule a pickup.
Receive your results. You will be notified in the portal, typically 2 to 4 days after the lab receives your samples. Your provider will contact you to go over the results.
Important: register every Sample Card in the portal before you collect, and also write your name, date of birth, Provider ID and collection date directly on the card. Missing any part of this step will delay or prevent processing of your results.
Tips for a successful finger stick
The most common reason a sample is rejected is fewer than three circles fully filled. These tips help:
Warm up first. Wash with warm water or take a warm shower. Warm, clean hands bleed more easily.
Get the blood flowing. Swing your arms for 1 to 2 minutes, and try collecting while standing.
Prick the side of your fingertip while resting your finger on a firm surface.
Massage gently from your wrist toward your fingertip if the flow is slow.
Fill at least three circles completely, without overlapping drops. Having someone help you can make this easier.
Understanding your results
A single hCG number is hard to interpret on its own. What matters most is the trend across repeat samples, and normal patterns differ from person to person and situation to situation. Please do not try to read a result in isolation; your prescriber or care team can put it in context.
Shipping and storage
Keep Sample Cards at room temperature, between 59°F (15°C) and 77°F (25°C), in a cool, dry place away from sunlight and moisture.
FedEx pickup is available Monday through Friday at most locations. Schedule online or call FedEx at least one day in advance.
If outdoor temperatures are below 35°F (2°C) or above 90°F (32°C), keep your package indoors until pickup.
Your privacy
Patient data is collected and stored by the laboratory according to lab requirements, and GenBioPro does not have access to your personal information. Your results are delivered to you and your provider through HIPAA-compliant portals.
Comfort and safety
The only expected discomfort is brief soreness or mild bruising where the finger is pricked, the same as any finger stick blood test. It usually heals on its own; check with your provider if you are concerned about how much or how long it hurts.
Do not rely on a test result alone if you have symptoms. Contact your healthcare provider promptly if you have heavy bleeding, fever or severe pain.
Get Clara Spot from Invictus Pharmacy
Once your provider orders Clara Spot, we ship the kit directly to your door with everything you need to collect, register and return your samples.
The Clara Spot™ Testing Service is a trademark of GenBioPro, Inc. Testing is performed by a CAP-accredited, CLIA-certified laboratory per your provider's order. This article is for general information and is not a substitute for advice from your healthcare provider.