Quest Diagnostics, the world’s leading provider of diagnostic information services, announced the launch of a new obstetrics laboratory test panel designed to enable physicians to screen all eligible pregnant people easily and reliably for hepatitis C (HCV) with other laboratory tests typically ordered during early pregnancy.
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The company developed the new test panel to include HCV antibody testing with reflex to quantitative real-time PCR in response to findings from a Quest Diagnostics Health Trends® study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology in June 2022. This peer reviewed study found that less than 41% of pregnant people were screened for HCV in 2021, based on Quest Diagnostic’s laboratory testing of more than 5 million pregnant patients. The study also found that individuals with Medicaid health insurance were screened at rates 25-35% lower than those with commercial insurance.
“Our Health Trends research revealed that despite guidelines recommending HCV screening in pregnancy, many people are not receiving the testing they need. Individuals in underserved communities are most likely to experience this gap in care,” said Damian “Pat” Alagia, MD, Senior Medical Director, Women’s Health, Quest Diagnostics. “Screening for HIV, HBV and syphilis is already standard in obstetric panels, and it is no coincidence that screening rates for these diseases during pregnancy are more than double the current rate as for HCV. By adding HCV screening to our obstetrics panel, physicians will be more likely to deliver guideline-based care that reduces HCV infection during pregnancy and fosters a positive outcome for the patient and their newborn.”
“Our new test service is a prime example of how Quest Diagnostics illuminates care gaps from its uniquely large laboratory dataset and then creates solutions to improve patient care and public health,” said Harvey W. Kaufman, MD, Senior Medical Director, Head of the Health Trends Research Program for Quest Diagnostics, and a lead of the study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology.