SECAUCUS, NJ, July 9, 2019 -- Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), the world's leading provider of diagnostic information services, today launched a new Lyme Disease test offering that individuals can purchase through Quest’s consumer-initiated testing service, QuestDirect.
The blood test screens for immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies produced by the body to fight infection to the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Through this service, individuals who suspect they have been bitten by a tick carrying Lyme disease can purchase laboratory tests to aid in the identification of Lyme Disease. Individuals 18 years of age or older may access the test service at any of Quest’s 2,250 patient service centers across the United States without first needing to consult a physician. The service is available in 45 states starting today.
To learn more about QuestDirect or to order testing services, visit https://QuestDirect.QuestDiagnostics.com.
QuestDirect is an enhanced online consumer-initiated testing service provided by Quest Diagnostics to empower patients to manage and take control of their healthcare by purchasing health and wellness lab testing from the convenience of their home. Test results are available on MyQuest, the company's secure patient portal accessible on a smartphone, tablet, or desktop, typically within a week, and may be shared with the individual's own physician.
Licensed physicians provide oversight for all lab tests, based upon the information that individuals provide to Quest. This includes ordering tests, if appropriate, and evaluating results once available. Individuals have the opportunity to speak with a physician to discuss any of the lab test results. These physicians may provide treatment for certain conditions in some states and recommend further medical follow-up.
Spread by tick bites from infected blacklegged and deer ticks, Lyme disease is an infection by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi that causes more than 300,000 illnesses each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is the most commonly occurring vector-borne disease and the sixth most commonly reported notifiable infectious disease.
"During the summer months, the potential to be infected with Lyme disease increases, and anyone who spends time outdoors hiking, fishing, gardening, or even taking the family dog for a walk could be at risk,” said Hema Kapoor, MD, Medical Director, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Quest Diagnostics. “Services that empower individuals to access Lyme testing with the benefit of physician oversight can help individuals receive the care and intervention they may need.”
Common signs of potential Lyme exposure include the tell-tale "bullseye" shaped mark that frequently forms on the skin at a tick-bite location, or a presence of flu-like and/or other symptoms associated with Lyme or other tick-borne infections.
Clinical Grade Testing Made Easy
QuestDirect provides the convenience of access to the company's national network of 2,250 patient service centers and uses the same clinical-grade lab technology and test services physicians order on behalf of patients. The Lyme Disease Testing service costs $89.
The new service is the latest addition to the company's QuestDirect offerings. Launched in November 2018, QuestDirect now offers more than 35 individual tests and test packages focused on general health, men's and women's health, digestive health, heart health, infectious disease and sexually transmitted disease testing.
Quest Diagnostics has long been a leader in the movement for consumer empowerment in healthcare. The company has been a strong advocate in the effort to provide patients with direct access to lab testing. The company further expanded convenient access to testing services through its collaborations with Safeway and Walmart, and has approximately 200 patient service centers in retail store locations. Additionally, Quest performs genotyping test services on behalf of Ancestry's AncestryDNA, a service that today identifies and quantifies an individual's ethnic origins based on results of DNA testing. Blueprint Fit, the first athlete-specific direct-to-consumer service from Quest Diagnostics, includes an at-home, self-collection option.
About Quest Diagnostics
Quest Diagnostics empowers people to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from the world's largest database of clinical lab results, our diagnostic insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire healthy behaviors and improve health care management. Quest annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States, and our 46,000 employees understand that, in the right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights can inspire actions that transform lives. www.QuestDiagnostics.com.