Quest Diagnostics 2008 Annual Report Download - page 19

Employer Services. We believe that we are the leading provider of clinical testing to employers for drugs-
of-abuse. Our Drug Testing Index, which is an annual report of our aggregate drug testing results, is used
nationally by employers, the federal government and the media to help identify and quantify drug abuse among
the nation’s workforce.
As healthcare costs have increased, so has the value of preventative care. Employers grappling with
increased healthcare costs are considering wellness testing as a key tool to reduce their healthcare costs. We
provide wellness testing to employers to enable their employees to take an active role in improving their health
and empower employers with aggregated health information. Our Blueprint for Wellnessprogram offers
employers actionable data to power their health improvement and cost containment programs. We are leveraging
our patient service centers and paramedical network to deliver wellness screening nationwide. Additionally, in the
fourth quarter of 2008, we began to offer Blueprint for Wellnessdirectly to individuals through our partnership
with Google Health.
Diagnostic Products, Including Point-of-care, or Near Patient, Testing. Technology advances are enabling
testing to move closer to the patient and are becoming increasingly available and reliable. Over time, some
testing that is now done in clinical laboratories will cease to be performed in clinical laboratories and will be
performed closer to the patient. We believe that our point-of-care testing strategy will strengthen our relationship
with our customers by enabling us to offer more solutions that improve the effectiveness of our customers and
the care of their patients by enabling faster diagnosis and treatment. We are well positioned to offer options and
integrated solutions to physicians, hospitals and clinics for the testing methods that are most appropriate for each
patient and practice.
We develop and manufacture products that enable healthcare professionals to make healthcare diagnoses,
including products for point-of-care, or near patient, testing for the professional market. Since July 2006, we have
acquired several companies, including Focus Diagnostics, Enterix, and HemoCue, that enhance our offerings and
better enable us to serve these markets. We will consider additional acquisitions or licenses of selective products
to complement the products and services we provide. The results of the InSure威Quik FITpoint-of-care test
and HemoCue hemoglobin, glucose, urine albumin and white blood cell tests, as well as tests performed by our
laboratories, can be entered into our Care360Physician Portal so that they all are available in one electronic
medical record. We intend to offer additional data links in the future. This will differentiate our point-of-care test
products from other products that are not integrated into an electronic repository.
Focus Diagnostics is a leading provider of infectious disease testing that has established a reputation for
being first to introduce new tests to the market, including diagnostic tests for Lyme disease, West Nile Virus and
SARS. Focus Diagnostics develops, manufactures and markets diagnostic products, such as HerpeSelect威ELISA
tests that detect patient antibodies to specific types of Herpes Simplex Virus, which can be performed on a
variety of instrument platforms. Focus received FDA 510(k) clearance to sell in the United States its new
multiplexed Plexusproduct to detect type specific antibodies to herpes simplex virus. Focus has also submitted
an application to the FDA for 510(k) clearance to allow U.S. sales of Plexusproducts for the detection of
antibodies specific to Epstein-Barr virus. Both the Plexusproducts have received the CE mark and are available
for purchase in European Union countries. Focus Diagnostics sells its diagnostic products to large academic
medical centers, hospitals and commercial laboratories globally.
HemoCue, headquartered in Angelholm, Sweden, specializes in point-of-care testing. HemoCue is the leading
global provider in point-of-care testing for hemoglobin, with a growing market share for glucose, microalbumin
and white blood cell testing. The measurement of hemoglobin is important for blood donors and for patients
being considered for transfusion therapy, or undergoing dialysis or chemotherapy, where instant test results can
lead to immediate treatment decisions. The HemoCue handheld systems are used in physician’s offices, blood
banks, hospitals, diabetes clinics and public health clinics. In developing countries, these systems are used as the
primary means to screen for anemia. Approximately one-half of HemoCue products are sold outside the United
States. We believe that HemoCue has a strong product development pipeline, based on its pioneering use of its
patented microfluidic systems.
In October 2007, HemoCue received FDA 510(k) clearance for its White Blood Cell Analyzer, a whole-
blood test performed on finger-stick samples that can assist physicians by providing a total white blood cell count
(WBC). Changes in WBC may be indicative of infection, inflammation, bone marrow failure, autoimmune
diseases and many other medical conditions. The WBC can be useful to physicians in helping to diagnose a
patient’s disease state and determine at the point of care what, if any, treatment may be appropriate for the
patient in conjunction with other clinical signs and symptoms. WBC is a test routinely performed by most
laboratories. In addition, Focus Diagnostics received FDA 510(k) clearance for its HerpeSelect威ExpressHSV-
2, which is used for aiding in the diagnosis of herpes simplex type-2 virus, the primary cause of genital herpes.
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