Summary: Quest Diagnostics introduced a new self-collection service for genital tract infection testing, providing greater convenience and access to care at its patient service centers.

Takeaways:

  1. Self-collection at Quest centers allows patients to collect their own vaginal swab for testing, offering a more convenient option without sacrificing diagnostic accuracy for common genital tract infections.
  2. The service uses the FDA-cleared Aptima Multi-test swab, enabling testing for conditions such as bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections, chlamydia, and gonorrhea, while maintaining a focus on patient comfort and accessibility.
  3. By expanding patient choice, the new service reduces the burden on healthcare providers, enhances patient empowerment, and encourages early detection and treatment of infections that could lead to serious health complications.

Quest Diagnostics announced the availability of a new service aimed at increasing convenience and speed of testing and treatment of several common genital tract infections (GTIs). Quest is offering patients experiencing vaginitis and symptoms of similar common GTIs the option to self-collect a swab specimen on a national scale, supporting patient care, the drive for greater patient choice, and empowerment in healthcare.

“Quest is constantly looking for ways to meet the needs of the communities we serve to empower choice and convenience as well as better health outcomes. Giving patients the option to self-collect in our patient service centers will increase access to important sexual health testing for many,” says Kathleen Valentine, VP and general manager of Women’s and Reproductive Health Services at Quest Diagnostics.

Multi-Test Swab 

The new offering utilizes the FDA-cleared Aptima Multi-test swab for patient-collected vaginal specimens. The FDA cleared the swab for patient self-collection in clinical settings, such as those of Quest’s patient service centers or in traditional clinical settings like a doctor’s office. It is not FDA-cleared for at-home collection, and self-collection is not intended to replace a pelvic examination provided by a clinician. Patients should inform their healthcare provider if they suspect that they are pregnant or if they have recently had symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease (such as pelvic pain, pain with sexual intercourse, unusual vaginal discharge or bad odor).

Genital Tract Infection Testing

When testing for genital tract infections in conventional practice, a healthcare provider collects a specimen from a patient in their office or clinic and forwards it to a laboratory for testing. With the new Quest self-collection service, patients with symptoms may, with an electronically placed physician’s order, vaginally self-collect in a private room at a Quest Diagnostics patient service center using a simple step-by-step guide. Collection directions will be provided for self-collections, however some patients may experience difficulty with self-collection and may require a visit to their healthcare provider to assist with the collection. 

The Quest Diagnostics patient service center will send the specimen to the testing laboratory. Test results are provided to the provider and patient electronically. The provider may review the results and provide treatment during a separate patient visit and provide further evaluation as needed. The self-collect option is available at no extra charge for the patient or health plan.

“Unidentified and untreated GTIs can lead to serious, long-term health issues, such as pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, chronic pelvic pain or problems in pregnancy,” says board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist Damian P. Alagia, MD, Senior Medical Director, Women’s Health, Quest Diagnostics. “Specimen self-collection has been shown to appeal to many female patients as an alternative to a provider-performed collection but with comparable accuracy. I am confident that our specimen self-collection option will help women feel more comfortable seeking out the testing they need.”

Detecting Infections and Causes of Vaginitis

The new collection method may be used for laboratory testing of six common infections and causes of vaginitis, which affects one in three women in their lifetime(1), including bacterial vaginosis (BV), vulvovaginal candidiasis (yeast infection) and trichomoniasis. It may also be used to test for similar common GTIs including chlamydia, gonorrhea, and Mycoplasma genitalium. Vaginitis is a highly common condition that can cause irritation and discomfort. It may be due to any number of factors that include certain sexually transmitted infections and similar genital tract conditions such as bacterial vaginosis/vaginitis and candidiasis.

The new offering provides more choice to patients interested in a discreet method of collection, improves access to testing and treatment, and reduces pressure on physicians and other healthcare professionals to accommodate patients requiring urgent evaluation, according to the company. This capability comes at a time when emerging solutions allow for specimen collection in new and various settings, enabling more accessible care. In a recent survey, 51% of respondents cited convenience and ease of access as the most important factors in healthcare decision making.(2)

References:

  1. Vodstrcil LA, Plummer EL, Doyle M, Fairley CK, McGuiness C, Bateson D, Hocking JS, Law MG, Petoumenos K, Donovan B, Chow EPF, Bradshaw CS; StepUp RCT Team. Treating male partners of women with bacterial vaginosis (StepUp): a protocol for a randomised controlled trial to assess the clinical effectiveness of male partner treatment for reducing the risk of BV recurrence. BMC Infect Dis. 2020 Nov 11;20(1):834. doi: 10.1186/s12879-020-05563-w. PMID: 33176727; PMCID: PMC7661182.
  2. 2019 Healthcare Consumer Trends Report (nrchealth.com)