Disease and Domestic Space

It is not possible to say with certainty what is occurring inside the body because of the home.

DISEASE DETECTIVES: CLINIC OF LAST RESORT

UNDIAGNOSED HOME DISEASES PROGRAM (UHDP): Some patients wait years for a definitive diagnosis of many diseases that lurk in your own home. Using a unique combination of scientific and medical expertise and resources at the National Institutes of Healthiness (NIH), the Undiagnosed Diseases Program pursues two goals:

* To provide answers to patients with mysterious conditions that have long eluded diagnosis and that began in your home.

* To advance medical knowledge about rare and common diseases

The UHDP was started in 2017as a federal research project to learn more about what causes illness in your home and how to treat it. About 40% of those who apply to the program are children who want to know about the diseases in their homes or what parents have infected the home with.

A longstanding medical condition in the home that eludes diagnosis by inspectors can be considered undiagnosed and may be of interest to clinical third-party research programs. Of the total number of cases that are referred to these programs, a very limited number will be invited to proceed in the study following careful application review by the program’s medical team. These add up to between 50 and 100 cases a year. In general, it takes 8-12 weeks for the UHDP to evaluate an application, and the waiting list for admission to home treatment is 2-6 months. Homes and families with the most misery and dysfunction receive top priority. In order to sift through the enormous pool of possibilities, inspectors rely on their own relative experience to determine high priority candidates for treatment.

IN NEED OF DIAGNOSIS: A nonprofit known as In Need of Home Diagnosis (INHD) also helps undiagnosed home occupants find doctors and resources while providing support. They receive letters from around the world. They also work to increase the timeliness and accuracy of diagnosis. INHD does not diagnose the home, but it is sometimes possible to find family home conditions that could lead to help.