I just read an article in the WSJ that there are several companies offering blood lab tests direct to consumers. I had heard of mail-order paternity testing, but didn't know of blood labs being offered this way.
The idea is that you order the tests you want online, have them drawn at a nearby contract lab (usually LabCorp or Quest), and the results appear on the website. Most customers pay out of pocket since insurance won't cover lab tests not coming from your physician.
The medical-testing trend is similar to initiatives undertaken by drug companies in recent years. "Pharmaceutical companies…have taken the product directly to the consumer. 'If you think this drug is right for you,' they say, 'check with your doctor.' That will be happening with blood tests within the next few years," said John Bell, chief executive at Direct Laboratory Services Inc., which operates DirectLabs.com.
A blood test on MyMedLab.com sells for $45, compared with $295 at the local hospital, says company president David Clymer. "We're trying to reach people who are stuck in a market where their only option is a hospital lab," he said. "We're not simply 20% cheaper — we're 20% of [the hospitals' cost]. That's how consumer-driven health [care] is supposed to be."
The article also cites these companies:
- http://medlabusa.com/
- http://www.healthcheckusa.com/
- http://questest.com/ (Quest's retail attempt, shuttered in March 2006)
Cholesterol, diabetes, and STD panels are all popular. Customers can use their Health Savings Account dollars for these tests, providing another avenue for burning excess HSA money.
It would take a pretty strong market demand for these services to export lab data in an HL7 or other standard format. I wonder if any providers offer an Excel export.
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