Feature Requests

As a user, I found the collection process for the gut zoomer test to be potentially prone to errors. I suggest including a sanitary mat in the kit to place the collection bag on a flat surface. This would prevent the bag from falling into the toilet and ruining the sample collection. Sterile gloves would also be beneficial, as well as additional toilet collection bags to account for any human error. Alcohol wipes could be used to clean the collection tubes and the surface where the sample was collected. As a chemist, I was able to navigate this process, but I believe these improvements would make it more user-friendly and foolproof.

From Dr Yun-Ching Chen: The "paper flower" that goes on the toilet for the Gut Zoomer collection is terrible. It would be easiest to include a cardboard tray, like the ones used at picnics. This is what is included in the GI-Effects and GI-Map test kits. It can even be made of collapsible cardboard if you want to continue using the tiny collection boxes. The other kit boxes are much bigger to accommodate the collection tray dimensions.

I suggest at least the link for collection instructions and pre-test recommendations is made available in every test kit as a piece of actual paper and not just a QR code. A test kit should already be comprehensive from the beginning, ie, able to anticipate every little need of the patient. -Dr. Yun-Ching Chen

From Dr Yun-Ching Chen: Include a collapsable stand (can even be made of cardboard) to hold the tubule in place for those who don't have a partner around to help steady the tubule during the collection for the Microtube collection. I like to utilize tests that do not require additional effort on behalf of the patient to find and pay for a phlebotomist. This is an additional expense that is not covered by insurance with these various expensive tests...

1) The microtubule collection was very stressful, trying to keep the blood flow going while dripping into this tiny opening of a tube that did not have a stand to keep it upright. I would not have been able to do it without my husband's 2nd pair of hands to help me hold the tube steady. I can just see an older patient who maybe has a tremor having great difficulty trying to successfully collect this tube of blood. The anxiety alone will stop the blood flow rapidly. Also, it would have been very helpful had the instructions specifically state to keep the hand a good distance below the level of the heart, to allow gravity to facilitate blood flow. I knew this, but the average person is not going to think of this. 2) Urine collection: It is difficult to pour the urine from the cup into the tall thin tube with a very small opening, without spilling. It would have been much easier had the large collection cup been designed to have a pouring spout. 3) Gut Zoomer: the paper included to collect the stool is woefully inadequate, and a waste of someone's time. I can just see 70+% of patients having stool not land in the tiny collection triangle space and/or esp in women, having great difficulty separating urine from the stool. Vibrant should have dedicated more resources to a better stool collection tray, instead of spending on the useless outer test kit box. The collection step is the most important first step. 4) The kit activation process took almost 20min for me, because the Vibrant website was not responding. I tried 2 separate phones, and even had my husband (very good with IT issues) look at it. He said the website was having difficulty communicating with a mobile device, even though I was using Chrome browser. Upon scanning the QR code, it took me to the Vibrant website where I was to enter my information, only the screen was locked, and allowed no access to the keyboard to enter anything. There was absolutely no way to activate the kit going directly to the website on my laptop. It's a problem when you're boxing everyone to just a mobile phone. 5) The dietary preparations that were to happen before certain tests were ONLY AVAILABLE upon kit activation, and not included in any other printed test instructions or videos. If this is the only place Vibrant wants to allow access this critical information, which can include specific dietary limitations for several days, those test kits should clearly state "activate immediately, at least several days before you are ready to collect your specimens." Some patients may interpret the whole process as only "activate" when they are finally ready to collect their specimens, that day. They would have been in for a rude awakening only to find out they have to now postpone for several days for the dietary prep portion.