A1c Assays Gain Expert Recommendation for Clinical Testing

Many Insurance companies have been screening with A1c for several years. It appears that clinical medicine will be adopting the practice shortly. An International Expert Committee with members appointed by the American Diabetes Association, the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, and the International Diabetes Federation was convened in 2008 to consider the current and future means of diagnosing diabetes in non pregnant individuals.

They recently published their findings and recommendations in Diabetes Care, July 2009. An updated examination of the laboratory measurements of glucose and A1c by the International Expert Committee indicates that with advances in instrumentation and standardization, the accuracy and precision of A1c assays at least match those of glucose assays.

The summary of the study states: "......compared with the measurement of glucose, the A1c assay is at least as good at defining the level of hyperglycemia at which retinopathy prevalence increases; has appreciably superior technical attributes, including less preanalytic instability and less biologic variability; and is more clinically convenient. A1c is a more stable biological index than FPG, as would be expected with a measure of chronic glycemia levels compared with glucose concentrations that are known to fluctuate within and between days".

The ADA and other organizations are expected to adopt the recommendations of the expert committee and suggest A1c for screening for prediabetes and diabetes.

Stay Up-to-Date on Industry Trends with ExamOne Webinars

ExamOne is leading the insurance industry with products and services designed to fit your changing needs.

Join one (or all) of our upcoming educational webinars to learn how other companies are utilizing innovative products to stay ahead of the curve.

Automated Decision Making Simplified -- How?

• Thursday, September 17, 2009
• 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. Central Time

Have you been thinking about automated decision making, but stalled in the process? ExamOne has partnered with RGA Technology Partners to offer a simplified approach to automated decision making. Join us to learn more about this unique industry solution.

Register Now

The Truth About Hepatitis C

• Thursday, September 24, 2009
• 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Central Time

During this hour we will discuss the questions, myths and urban legends surrounding Hepatitis C testing. This is your chance to get the facts and supporting data for the most frequently asked test questions about Hepatitis C in the risk assessment industry.

Register Now

Quest Diagnostics launches 2009 H1N1 Flu Test Kit to commercial laboratories in the U.S.

We are excited to be the first commercial laboratory to introduce an acute diagnostic test that identifies the H1N1 strain of Influenza A virus known as swine flu. This highly sensitive test will actually detect the presence of the virus's specific genetic material, RNA, from a nasal or throat swab. The test will allow us to differentiate patients infected with other seasonal Influenza A strains.

Because of the relatively quick clinical course of influenza and the specimens needed for testing, testing for H1N1 will not be practical for insurance underwriting purposes. However, it is comforting that Quest Diagnostics (the parent company of ExamOne) has the research expertise to provide timely, important clinical testing for us, our families, and the population-at-large.

Below is a statement recently issued to the media.

August 20, 2009 (Vol. 12, No. 97) - Focus Diagnostics, the infectious disease diagnostics business of Quest Diagnostics, today announced that its Influenza A H1N1 (2009) Real Time RT-PCR test is now available as a test kit for use by "high complexity" clinical laboratories in the U.S. The test qualitatively detects the RNA of the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus (pandemic virus) from a patient’s nasal, nasopharyngeal or throat specimen. In combination with clinical and epidemiological assessments, the test aids physicians in diagnosing patients infected with the pandemic virus rather than other influenza A strains.

"The availability of a quality test kit authorized by FDA for use during the pandemic emergency will contribute to the nation’s capacity for accurate testing for the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus," said John Hurrell, Ph.D., Vice President and General Manager, Focus Diagnostics. "Expanded testing for this new virus could be critically important in aiding clinicians in determining which influenza A virus is causing a patient’s illness should there be a surge in testing demand during the fall and winter flu season."

On July 24, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it had granted emergency use authorization (EUA) to the Focus Diagnostics test, the first granted to a commercial test for detecting the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. On August 17, FDA informed Focus Diagnostics that it had issued an amended EUA for the company’s test to reflect labeling clarifications regarding the contents of the test kit. According to the EUA, the test may be performed in laboratories certified under the U.S. Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) to perform high-complexity tests and operating certain equipment.

In April 2009, the FDA granted two EUAs in connection with the CDC’s RT-PCR diagnostic panel used by public health labs in the U.S. to detect the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus infection. In its EUA application to the FDA, Focus Diagnostics presented data involving more than 100 clinical specimens indicating that the Focus Diagnostics test agreed 100 percent with the CDC’s RT-PCR test in identifying specimens as positive or negative for the pandemic virus.

Special Offer - 10% Off Wellness Testing for Insight Readers

Ordering Blueprint for Wellness online is a great option for individuals and small organizations that want to become better aware of their health. Visit www.blueprintforwellness.com and select from a wide array of laboratory tests. To receive this special 10% off discount, use Promo Code MKT09 when checking out. After a visit to a Patient Service Center and a simple blood draw, you will receive your personal and secure laboratory results online and in the mail. You can take these results with confidence to your physician for further review.

Check out some of our new online tests including our Personal Health Monitoring Panel designed by a team of physicians from Quest Diagnostics for individuals interested in actively monitoring personal health and who want to identify and monitor certain health conditions. You can even add Vitamin D to monitor your levels of calcium that is important in preserving bone strength. More individual tests are now available including:

• Folate
• Vitamin B12
• Testosterone
• Vitamin D

If your company already participates in a corporate Quest Diagnostics employee wellness program, then this is a great way to share the Blueprint for Wellness experience with your friends and family.

For more information on Quest Diagnostics wellness testing call 1-800-654-7824 or visit www.blueprintforwellness.com.

*This service is not currently available in NY State or to NY residents.

Reduce Internal I.T. Development with an Electronic Process

The ExamOne Policy Express™ process offers a single source solution for ordering, requesting status and viewing results for all underwriting requirements. By streamlining the requirements acquisition process, we have been able to significantly reduce cycle time, provide a better experience to life insurance applicants and create a foundation for future straight-through-process workflow models.

In order to extend the reach of our services into the point of sale arena, ExamOne partnered with MARKETech, a provider of e-application and e-signature solutions. MARKETech solutions enable producers and carriers to increase efficiency and create an "In Good Order" application, thereby eliminating delays and costly rework.

MARKETech solutions satisfy different workflow needs of carriers with diverse distribution channels. The e-application may be a full Part I, Part I and II, or a short ticket form. The forms may be programmed to be “intelligent” where carrier rules dictate what information must be entered into the form to ensure an "In Good Order" application. The e-signature component is flexible with many options available such as click wrap and cursive signature.

ExamOne is currently partnering with MARKETech to develop the connectivity that will enable both organizations to improve the point of sale experience for the applicant and agent and as well streamline the entire end-to-end process. This will also reduce the amount of information technology development that a client typically needs to complete for an implementation of an electronic process.

To learn more about MARKETech and ExamOne's straight-through-processing solution contact your regional sales vice president.

Imaging Webinar Provides Clients with Glimpse Into the Future

On August 12, ExamOne's Imaging Product Manager, Jenny Miller, hosted a webinar for existing clients. During the webinar we discussed ExamOne paramedical ordering options including a high-level overview of our imaging offerings. We highlighted the current insurance carriers that are receiving electronic file deliveries, document identification process improvements, new enhancements and future enhancements to the imaging web site.

New enhancements include:

• Select all feature: This will save the user time by enabling the option to select more than one document type to perform functions.
• New user authentication: Allow site administration at the client site. Enabling an easy option to create new users.
• Additional field displayed: Doctor's Name will now be displayed on the result grid.
• Display last 4 values of your clients' social security number: Taking further steps to protect your clients' PHI.
• Support link on the navigation pane: Provide necessary support tools and information.

Future enhancements include:

• Upload images: This feature will offer the ability to upload image files to an existing case in the imaging system.
• Customize result columns: Flexibility to present requested columns in the result grid.
• Enhanced user roles: This feature will provide the users with additional functionality on the imaging web site.

We would like to thank everyone who attended the webinar.

Industry News

ExamOne is attending several industry shows in the coming months. Stop by and see us!

NAIFA
September 13 - 14, 2009
Orlando, FL
Booth 429

EZ Data
September 13-14, 2009
St. Louis, MO

LIDMA
September 20-23, 2009
Chicago, IL

SFSP
October 26-28, 2009
Phoenix, AZ

For more information on how ExamOne's integrated solutions may help your workflow, please visit www.ExamOne.com or call 800.873.8845 ext. 1470.