Acceptability of dried blood spot collection by primary caregivers of Filipino patients with maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) and phenylketonuria (PKU)

MSUD and PKU require lifetime management hence, regular monitoring of amino acid levels is needed to achieve good metabolic control. Ideally, plasma amino acid analysis (PLAA) is used to monitor concentrations but is expensive and not widely available in local laboratories. The newborn screening program in the Philippines uses dried blood spot (DBS) analysis as an alternative where only trained healthcare providers are allowed to perform the collection at selected facilities. With the increasing number of patients, DBS monitoring has been noted to be delayed due to multiple factors. This issue became even more evident during the COVID-19 pandemic where high-risk patients need to travel outside for blood collection. The study used a cross-sectional study design to determine the primary caregivers’ perspective on DBS self-sampling for patients with MSUD and PKU and the acceptability of the samples collected. This was done through a series of collection training, pre-/post- surveys, and 10-item questionnaire, and an in-depth 1-on-1 interview for thematic analysis. The acceptability of samples was processed and evaluated by the newborn screening laboratory. At-home DBS collection by primary caregivers was found to be acceptable. The provision of knowledge and routine collection training by the medical team aids in the increase of sample acceptability as well as a source of empowerment in being equipped to take care of their child. It is highly recommended that DBS samples collected by caregivers be considered acceptable for more time and cost-saving monitoring of the patients’ metabolites. This practice also promotes timely and appropriate management which can lead to better patient health outcomes.