WITH APOLOGIES TO FANS OF HORSE RACING, I OBSERVE THAT THE SUBJECT of Vitamin D has just achieved a noteworthy trifecta in laboratory medicine. In recent months, at least four of the bigger controlled-circulation magazines widely-read by laboratory professionals have run major cover stories on Vitamin D and Vitamin D testing.

It is not often that a single topic becomes a headline story for the majority of controlled-circulation laboratory magazines within such a tight window of time. That makes this development noteworthy as a sign of an important industry trend. Because these controlled-circulation magazines are advertising-driven, they want topics that will draw eyeballs (and attract related advertisers). So their decision, somewhat independently of each other, to headline stories about Vitamin D testing, means that their market research has uncovered strong interest in this topic among their readers.

Using the amount of news space devoted to a single topic as a way to identify trends is an accepted practice. Those readers who share my age and perspective, will recall amega-best-selling book in the early 1980s by the title of "Megatrends." The author, John Naisbitt, calculated the amount of news space given to certain topics by newspapers, magazines, and television news broadcasts. He correctly understood that, as news reporters increased their coverage of specific topics, this would be an early marker for a trend that would become highly influential in society.

For the record, back in 1982, Naisbitt correctly called these three trends. One, a rapid transition fromthe industrial age to the information age. Two, the dominance of the global economy, requiring nations to open their national economies to global trade.Three, networks as the processwhichwould open up commercial and public access to goods, services, and information across the globe. (Today, we have the Internet as the ultimate network.)

If you follow my chain of thought, the recent laboratory industry magazine coverage of Vitamin D testing is the marker for a major trend, still in its early stage. I will make a stab at a prediction. The physician and consumer hubbub that we now see over Vitamin D levels is the visible sign of a shift in both physician and consumer behavior. They are shifting from reactive healthcare to proactive healthcare. Vitamin D is the current example because it is relatively simple for consumers to cure a deficiency with an easy-to-take supplement.

All-Star Vitamin D Panel Looks at Lab Challenges

Special EXECUTIVE WAR COLLEGE session inspires major stories in CAP Today and Clinical Lab News

CEO SUMMARY: Need proof that the issues surrounding today's Vitamin 25(OH) D are of keen interest to laboratory professionals? Not only did the EXECUTIVE WAR COLLEGE'S in depth sessions on Vitamin D draw a large audience and enthusiastic participation by attendees, but within weeks, two of the lab industry's most-watched magazines published headline stories about Vitamin D issues, built in-part around interviews with the All-Star Vitamin D panelists, as well as several other lab experts.

UMass Lab's Experience With Vitamin D Methods

Along with the established immunoassay, UMass Lab developed a home brew LC-MS assay

CEO SUMMARY: As it developed a home brew mass spec assay for Vitamin 25(OH) D to meet the request of some client physicians, the laboratory at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center quickly recognized several challenges. First, there were fundamental differences in the numbers generated on the same population by the internally-developed LC-MS assay compared to the established immunoassay. Second, physicians were not alert to these differences when results were reported to them.

Lab M&A Deals in June Show Market Direction

Buyers support labs offering unique tests for companion diagnostics and personalized medicine

Despite a dismal economy, the month of June spawned two interesting merger/acquistion transactions in the lab testing industry. In one case, a blood brother gobbled up a specialty diagnostics company. In another transaction, two cross-town neighbors in Kansas City merged to form an enhanced specialty diagnostics laboratory company. The common theme behind both transactions was motivation to acquire resources and technology in companion diagnostics and personalized medicine.

New Flu Strain Expected In Upcoming Flu Season

Nation's public health laboratories continue influenza testing at relatively high volumes

CEO SUMMARY: Public health labs continue to monitor for new cases of the A/Novel H1N1 flu,while preparing for what may be a difficult flu season this fall. Having coped with a 10-fold increase in testing volume, public health labs are assessing the lessons learned from the April/May flu outbreak. At the Association of Public Health Laboratories, activities are underway to better coordinate the services of public health labs in different regions of the country, as well as to develop contingency plans to ensure ample supplies and reagents for any future outbreak.

Elevating Lab Testing At Policymaking Table

CDC engages Battelle Corporation to identify and publish laboratory medicine best practices

CEO SUMMARY: With the help of contributing clinical laboratories, the CDC has launched an ambitious effort to gather data, apply evidence review methods used in clinical studies, then identify and publish best practices in laboratory medicine. The goal is to advance the value of laboratory medicine. Some lab experts believe this effort may produce the type of credible information that helps lab testing move away from commoditybased pricing in favor of value-based reimbursement.

INTELLIGENCE: Late & Latent

PRISON TESTING IS GOOD NICHE BUSINESS AT BIO-REFERENCE LABS

TRANSITIONS: ARUP Laboratories, Inc.

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