THE ROLE OF AT-HOME CONSUMER DIAGNOSTICS INCREASES Saliva-based home pregnancy test arrives at Australian pharmacies
With
Dr Anita Sharma, GP
Platinum Medical Centre,
Brisbane
Michael Cima, CEO & Director
CC Supplies,
Byron Bay
SEGMENT
Filmed in Brisbane | March 2026
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, consumer diagnostics have rapidly advanced, with more people becoming aware of and comfortable using at-home testing. These tests provide greater convenience, control, and empowerment, allowing individuals to monitor their health without immediately consulting a healthcare professional. Recently, this shift has been particularly impactful in areas such as pregnancy testing, where saliva-based diagnostics now enable earlier and more accessible detection.
According to Dr Anita Sharma, a Brisbane based GP at Platinum Medical Centre, traditional medical testing still plays an important role. Situations such as unclear symptoms, early-stage conditions with low detectable markers, or practical limitations—like insufficient saliva samples—may require confirmation through standard clinical methods. Additionally, many patients seek reassurance from healthcare professionals even after receiving positive at-home results, particularly when further care planning is needed.
As a result, the role of healthcare practitioners is evolving, according to Dr Sharma. Rather than acting solely as gatekeepers to testing, they are increasingly becoming interpreters and validators of patient-led diagnostics. According to Dr Sharma, GPs now focus more on guiding care, confirming results, and supporting patient decisions. To do this effectively, Dr Sharma states GPs must stay informed through continuous education, engagement with peers, and awareness of emerging diagnostic technologies and trends in healthcare.
Australian Health Journal also spoke with Michael Cima, CEO and Director of CC Supplies about the accessibility of consumer diagnostics and where women are able to choose how to test, have improved access and opt for privacy.
Source: Adapted from transcript
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Allied Health Leader shares career insights
Mirella Vagnarelli is a distinguished healthcare leader with proven expertise across South Australia and the United Kingdom, where she has successfully led large, multidisciplinary teams. Holding a Master of Business Administration (Health) from Flinders University, she earned Fellowship status with the Australasian College of Health Service Management in 2022. In 2023, Mirella was honoured as a scholarship recipient for the prestigious ‘Women in Leadership’ Program at the Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation.
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Bionic eye trial shows improvements in functional vision for retinitis pigmentosa
Results of the first clinical trial of Australia’s ‘second generation’ bionic eye have demonstrated ‘substantial improvement’ in four participants’ functional vision, daily activities and quality of life over a period of more than two and a half years.
Led by the Centre for Eye Research Australia, Bionics Institute, University of Melbourne and Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, the trial findings add to interim results which showed that the second-generation bionic eye developed by Australian company Bionic Vision Technologies provided rapid improvements for four patients with blindness caused the genetic eye condition retinitis pigmentosa.
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HIGHLIGHTS Consumers and communities as agents of health care change and improvement
Policymakers, health administrators and clinicians must learn and embrace new ways to harness the transformative role consumers, community members and carers can play. Conversely, consumers and communities need support, capability and capacity to engage as equals in policy, research, program and service design. This is necessary if are to be less technocratic and realise the vision where all members of society can live the best life possible.
