In a recent Huffington Post article, a new study determined that twenty-two million Americans are not getting Colorectal Cancer Screenings done. In other words, “1 in 3 Americans age 50-75 are still not getting tested”. Colorectal Cancer is the 2^nd leading cause of cancer death in the United States today. Both men and women age 50 and over are recommended to get screened. A 2007 study shows. “Half of new detected cancer cases — as well as prevented deaths — are a result of increased colorectal cancer screenings, according to the report. From 2003 to 2007, 66,000 fewer people developed the disease, and 32,000 fewer people died from it”.

Medivo’s lab testing platform provides the optimal solution for such cases. Empowering patients with self-ordered lab tests to provide diagnostic evidence of disease and therapeutic effectiveness to help them make informed health care decisions. While at the same time encouraging patients to have thoughtful and personalized conversations with their primary care physicians.

In the June edition of PM360, Bob Previdi, President of PSKW, discusses “Shifting the Marketing Emphasis to the Patient.” Since the dawn of DTC advertising, pharma executives have realized that patient empowerment would play an ever-increasing role in marketing. The challenge, however, is identifying solutions that provide true value and empowerment.

Medivo’s consumer-driven lab testing platform provides the ultimate solution. Imagine empowering patients with self-ordered lab test to provide diagnostic evidence of disease and therapeutic effectiveness to help them make informed health care decisions. Medivo’s programs also empower patients with consumer-friendly education to help them translate clinical results to conscious conversations.

In the new patient-centric model, pharma marketers will need to deliver actionable tools and resources to help patients help themselves.

According to a recent white paper from Viverae, “preventative screenings could save more than 100,000 lives per year.”Currently, employees and employers are becoming more aware of the benefits of biometric screenings, such as making employees more aware of critical health information, potentially reducing medical expenses for themselves as well as employers. Access to biometric screenings has become increasingly more convenient to employees, taking only a few minutes to complete and test results are often made available online. Removing barriers to access allows people to take a more active role in their health. According to Viverae, 70% of all health care costs are the direct result of behavior, and 74% of all costs are confined to four chronic conditions (cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity). The Medivo Clinic provides access to these tests for employers, patients and physicians for biometric screenings, as well as disease monitoring and management. Click here to read the full report.

According to ABC World News, a recent study shows how personalized medicine is being used to more effectively treat cancer.

“We classify cancers according to where they start, but each cancer is probably many types of cancer. The bigger picture is what are the genetic abnormalities that make that cancer grow. Traditional treatments for cancer, such as chemotherapy, are one size fits all. All lung cancer patients might receive the same type of chemotherapy,” says Dr. Gerald Falchook, assistant professor in the department of investigational cancer therapeutics at MD Anderson. While this approach can be effective, it ravages the patients body by attacking all of a patients cells in hopes of killing the cancer.”

Promising results for personalized medicine. Click here to read the full post.

According to a recent white paper from Viverae, “preventative screenings could save more than 100,000 lives per year.” Currently, employees and employers are becoming more aware of the benefits of biometric screenings, such as making employees more aware of critical health information, potentially reducing medical expenses for themselves as well as employers. Access to biometric screenings has become increasingly more convenient to employees, taking only a few minutes to complete and test results are often made available online. Removing barriers to access allows people to take a more active role in their health. According to Viverae, 70% of all health care costs are the direct result of behavior, and 74% of all costs are confined to four chronic conditions (cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity). The Medivo Clinic provides access to these tests for employers, patients and physicians for biometric screenings, as well as disease monitoring and management. Click here to read the full report.

In March, our EVP and co-Founder, Dr. Destry Sulkes presented to the FDA on the need for physician oversight in DTC genetic testing. Dark Daily, a publication discussing key developments in laboratory medicine and laboratory management, recently published a followup article highlighting investigations into DTC testing in the UK as well.

As the need for low-cost DTC genetic testing increases, in the US and abroad, so does the need for qualified physicians to oversee and interpret these tests on behalf of consumers.

Click here to view the full article.

Ted Eytan, MD, MPH is a Medical Advisor at Medivo and medical director for Delivery Systems Operations, Permanente Federation LLC, Washington, D.C.

In a recent interview, Dr. Eytan discusses how patient portals in general, and Kaiser Permanente specifically, can be used to empower patients by providing them with lab test results. (more…)