COVID-19 home tests : A new study ranks them for ease of use.

An independent patient safety group Monday unveiled the first public ranking of the most widely used quick and cheap at-home COVID-19 tests based on how easy the products are for consumers to use.

ECRI, a nonprofit also focused on health care quality and cost-effectiveness, evaluated seven no-prescription rapid antigen tests sold via Amazon and chain retailers. The over-the-counter tests were assessed on measures a consumer might find useful such as ease of handling, reading and following instructions and interpreting results.

The purpose is to give consumers a guide when choosing among the confusing array of tests used by millions of Americans who want convenient and reliable options.

"We have no horse in this race – we want to make sure consumers have the best possible access," said ECRI CEO Marcus Schabacker. "Some of them are very easy to use, some are very difficult, and some are in between."

ECRI assigned 12 staff engineers who ranked tests using a decades-old, industry-standard scale to rate designs of a broad range of products and services.

Intrivo's On/Go antigen test garnered the top score of 82.9 on a 100-point scale; BD Veritor ranked the lowest at 51.8. The judges didn't find any test to be excellent nor unacceptable.

CareStart and FlowFlex rapid antigen tests joined On/Go as top-tier kits for ease of use and handling. The nation's most widely used rapid antigen test, Abbott Laboratories' BinaxNow, ranked as a middle-tier test; Quidel's QuickVue and InteliSwab received similar scores. ...