This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

CDC, Quest Diagnostics collaborate to improve HCV detection, intervention

The CDC will partner with Quest Diagnostics in an attempt to improve screening, diagnosis and intervention practices for patients with hepatitis C nationwide, according to a press release.

The organizations will focus on patients within the “baby boomer” generation — those born between 1945 and 1965 — who are up to five times more likely to develop HCV. In June, the US Preventive Services Task Force recommended that all those born within this period should undergo one-time screening for hepatitis C.

“With 3 million Americans living with hepatitis C, and up to three out of four who don’t know they are infected, increased testing is critical to ensure that those who are infected receive life-saving care and treatment,” John W. Ward, MD, director of the CDC’s viral hepatitis division. “Because these individuals are at serious risk for liver cancer, I am excited about this innovative collaboration with Quest Diagnostics, and believe it will help improve our understanding of how people access hepatitis C testing and care across the nation.”

According to the release, experts from Quest and the CDC will share access to data on screening, diagnostic, genotyping and viral load test results contained in Quest’s Health Trends national clinical laboratory database. All information on patient identification will be removed from this shared data.

The data sharing will be used to identify and track epidemiological trends related to testing and treatment of HCV and the impact of factors including age, sex, geographical location and management of the illness on those trends. Subsequent research results may be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at future scientific conferences.

“Deaths from hepatitis C infection have nearly doubled over the past decade, to now more than 15,000 a year,” Jay Wohlgemuth, MD, senior vice president of science and innovation at Quest Diagnostics. “Our collaboration with the CDC underscores the importance of using diagnostic information to derive useful insights enabling effective prevention, detection and management programs for diseases with a significant impact on public health.”