Rapid Testing: “Quick” Way To Reduce Healthcare Costs

With one hundred days down and hundreds more to go, President Obama has yet to tackle one of his most daunting tasks: healthcare reform. Most Americans agree that the healthcare system is in critical need of improvement, but the question of how to reduce healthcare costs without compromising the quality of treatments still remains.

According to the CNN/Opinion Research Corp., an estimated forty-six million Americans do not have health insurance, and those who do encounter higher premiums each year that make healthcare among the biggest, costliest domestic problems in the United States. Thus the need for an inexpensive yet uncompromising method of testing, diagnosing, and treating patients is greater than ever.

Many healthcare professionals agree that early diagnosis leads to better treatment outcomes. Yet, a simple blood test can involve several costs including a blood collection fee to the physician, transportation expenses, and laboratory analysis charges. Innovative point-of-care diagnostic tests, however, allow patients to be tested, diagnosed, and, if necessary, ultimately treated during a single visit to the doctor, thereby enabling the diagnosis of greater numbers of patients in less time and for less money.

“Until recently, many diagnostic tests have been sorely outdated and have not been available on a point-of-care basis,” says Larry Siebert, president of Chembio Diagnostic Systems, Inc., a Medford, New York-based rapid diagnostic testing company. “When patients can know the result of an HIV test or a hepatitis C test, for example, in minutes instead of days, it can have a profound effect on healthcare costs and course of treatment.”

Chembio develops, manufactures, and markets unique point-of-care tests. The company already has two FDA approved rapid tests for HIV and has several more in its pipeline, including a new oral fluid HIV test and a unique combination screening and confirmatory point-of-care test for syphilis. Development is also underway for tests for hepatitis C and influenza. All of these new tests take advantage of Chembio’s patented  Dual Path Platform DPP® technology which can test different fluid types—such as oral fluids, urine, and sputum—and which, through its multiplexing features, can even confirm or refute the presence of an active disease, making it a simple, fast, and effective way to test patients.

“While most everyone agrees the time has come for healthcare reform, not all the leaders of this movement will be based in Washington DC,” says Mr. Siebert. “As President Obama tackles this challenging issue, the biotech industry will continue pursuing innovative ways to make healthcare more affordable.” For more information on point-of-care testing, visit www.chembio.com.