This white paper has expired. Contact us for more information at info@darkreport.com
Published statistics indicate that, each year, there are more than 10 million visits to ob-gyn and primary care physicians because of vaginitis. Since this health condition could be caused by a number of different infectious agents, physicians—and their clinical laboratories—must often perform multiple diagnostic tests. That takes time, often doesn’t deliver a definitive diagnosis if the right infectious agent assays were not requested, and can frustrate both physician and patient.
Clinical laboratory testing plays a crucial diagnostic role in healthcare in the United States. That’s good news for pathologists, laboratory directors, and laboratory scientists. With the advancements in technology, laboratory test results are helping physicians make earlier and more accurate diagnoses. Numerous new diagnostic tests are available in the clinical marketplace. However, few of these assays possess the right combination of increased sensitivity, reasonable test cost, and the ability to significantly contribute to clinical care.
The Dark Report is happy to offer our readers a chance to download our recently published FREE White Paper “Vaginitis Diagnosis: An Opportunity to Improve Patient Care” at absolutely no charge. This free download will provide readers with a detailed overview of current legal challenges that your lab may encounter in the near future.
Pathologists and clinical laboratory scientists recognize how important it is that new diagnostic assays fit the following criteria:
- Improved sensitivity and specificity over existing lab testing technologies.
- Faster turnaround time to a complete result.
- Specimen collection methods that are easier to use, safer to transport, and/or have a longer shelf life.
- Easier for the laboratory to perform, preferably with automation available.
Whenever all of these criteria are met, it presents clinical laboratories with the opportunity to hit a “diagnostic home run” with referring physicians. An example would the diagnosis of vaginitis. Currently there are several tests available for the detection of the causative agents for vaginitis, but few tests are available for the simultaneous detection of these causative agents from one collected specimen. Such a test would be of significant benefit to the clinician and patient, as multiple specimens would not have to be collected.
Every pathologist and laboratory scientist should evaluate this assay and review the clinical guidelines that call for its use in diagnostic and treatment decisions for vaginitis. This white paper is a good starting point. It has been organized to provide an accurate and broad overview of this subject.
This white paper has expired. Contact us for more information at info@darkreport.com
—Here is just some of what you will take away…
- The role of microscopy and culture.
- The emergence of point-of-care testing.
- DNA Probe Technology
- More about Implementing DNA Probe Technology in the Lab
Table of Contents
Preface – Page 3
Chapter 1. Abstract — Page 5
Chapter 2. Background— Page 6
Chapter 3. The Three Common Underlying Causes of Vaginitis — Page 8
Chapter 4. Diagnosis of Vaginitis: Current Practice — Page 10
Chapter 5. DNA Probe Technology Opens the Door to Improved Vaginitis Care — Page 12
Chapter 6. Implications for Patient Care — Page 14
Chapter 7. Implications for the Laboratory — Page 15
Chapter 8. Assessing the Opportunity — Page 17
Chapter 9. Implementing DNA Probe Technology in the Lab — Page 21
Chapter 10. Marketing New Vaginitis Testing Capabilities — Page 22
Chapter 11. The BD Affirm VPIII Microbial Identification System at Work — Page 23
Chapter 12. Conclusion — Page 26
Appendices
A-1 About Andrea J. Linscott, PhD — Page 30
A-2 About BD — Page 31
A-3 About DARK DAILY — Page 32
A-4 About The Dark Intelligence Group, Inc., and The Dark Report— Page 33
A-5 About Executive War College on Laboratory and Pathology Management — Page 34
A-6 About Lena Chow — Page 36
