SALT LAKE CITY, June 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Tucked between a neighborhood dry
cleaner and vitamin shop is QuestDirect(TM), a revolutionary new concept in
consumer-driven health care conveniently located in a shopping center near
you.
QuestDirect(TM) now offers people an important new way to take charge of
their health through health tests that they choose for themselves, without
first having to see their own physician. QuestDirect(TM) is being launched in
Salt Lake City and seven other markets by Quest Diagnostics Incorporated
(NYSE: DGX), the nation's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information
and services.
People can walk into one of the private, hassle-free QuestDirect(TM)
retail locations and select from more than 25 health tests -- called
QuesTests(TM) -- that include cholesterol tests, osteoporosis risk tests,
allergy tests, full health profiles and many more. Soft music plays in this
comfortable environment in which customers come and go in less than 20 minutes
for as little as $20.
Consumers are encouraged to visit the QuestDirect(TM) Web site at
www.questest.com to access in-depth information on all aspects of health
testing; register for QuesTest(TM) and even securely obtain their confidential
test results online; link to popular health-oriented Web sites; and find the
full list of QuestDirect(TM) locations, as well as the complete test menu with
prices. For more information about QuestDirect(TM), consumers also are
invited to call the company toll-free at 1-877-QUESTEST.
Prices for QuesTests(TM) vary by test. In general, QuesTests(TM) range in
price from as low as $20 for some single tests up to $150 for the most
comprehensive health profile, which consists of eight different tests.
In the Greater Salt Lake City area, one conveniently located
QuestDirect(TM) retail site is now open: 6531 North Landmark Drive, Park
City, Utah. A second QuestDirect(TM) retail location will open this summer in
Salt Lake City, Utah. Additionally, four existing Quest Diagnostics Patient
Services Centers (PSCs) now also offer QuesTest(TM). These are located as
follows: 1060 East 100 South, Suite 103, Salt Lake City; 1875 North
1120 West, Provo, Utah; 736 South 900 East, Suite B102, St. George, Utah; and
1830 West Parkway, West Valley City, Utah.
Seven other markets where QuestDirect(TM) is launching simultaneously with
Salt Lake City are Billings, Mont.; Colorado Springs; Denver; Fort Collins,
Colo.; Greeley, Colo.; Kansas City; and Pueblo, Colo.
"QuestDirect(TM) taps directly into the megatrend that's hitting the
health care world -- more empowered consumers choosing to take control over
their own health, just like they've taken charge of their own personal
finances," said Hughes R. Bakewell, Jr., vice president consumer health, Quest
Diagnostics Incorporated.
"Our research indicates that there are a whole variety of reasons that
people will go to QuestDirect(TM). Some will be attracted to how quickly they
can get in and out of our stores and get their results, compared with how long
it might take through a doctor's visit. Many individuals will want testing
done more frequently than their insurance company will cover," added Bakewell.
QuestDirect(TM) customers can choose from several ways to obtain their own
test results -- all of which are private and confidential. For example, they
can select a special password to look up their results online at
www.questest.com as early as the next day after the test. Or if they prefer,
QuestDirect(TM) can mail their test results back to them in an
easy-to-understand, user-friendly report.
QuesTests(TM) help answer a broad need for consumers to obtain the
baseline personal health information they want, but these tests also answer
the need of some consumers to learn more serious information about their
health.
For example, according to the American Diabetes Association, of the
16 million people in the United States who have diabetes, 5 million are
unaware they have it until they experience complications such as blindness,
kidney disease, nerve disease, impotence, heart disease or stroke.
Similarly, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 71 percent
of women with osteoporosis don't know that they have it, leaving them at an
increased risk for fractures.
"Self-directed health testing offers a real benefit to consumers," said
Dr. Nancy Snyderman, medical correspondent for ABC-TV's Good Morning America
and author of the best-selling book, "Dr. Nancy Snyderman's Guide to Good
Health for Women Over 40."
"This exciting new concept enables people to select and order the health
tests they want, which will give them information about their own bodies that
they can use to better manage their overall health. And, when people share
their test results with their personal doctors, I believe they'll actually get
more value from their regular physician visits," said Snyderman.
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX), the company behind
QuestDirect(TM) is the nation's leading provider of diagnostic testing,
information and services with $3.4 billion in annual revenues. The company's
diagnostic testing yields information that enables health care professionals
and consumers to make better decisions to improve health. Quest Diagnostics
offers patients and physicians the broadest access to diagnostic testing
services through its national network of approximately 30 full-service
laboratories, 150 rapid response laboratories and 1,300 patient service
centers. Each year, more than 250,000 physicians and thousands of hospitals
use Quest Diagnostics services. Additional company information can be found
on the Internet at www.questdiagnostics.com.
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SOURCE Quest Diagnostics Incorporated
CONTACT: media, Kerry Shelanski of KS Communications, 303-864-1368; or
Molly Bowler of Bowler Consulting, 303-780-9665, both for Quest Diagnostics
Incorporated/