Building on the success of its direct-to-consumer COVID-19 testing options, Labcorp has established a new platform that allows it to sidestep healthcare provider middlemen and enable individuals to order their own diagnostic tests.
With Labcorp OnDemand, consumers can choose from a wide range of tests and multitest packages, all available without a physician’s referral. Depending on the type, the diagnostics can either be ordered for at-home sample collection or the buyer will be prompted to schedule an appointment at one of Labcorp’s patient service centers, 2,000 of which are located in Walgreens stores and standalone labs across the U.S.
Regardless of how the sample is collected, after it’s been processed by Labcorp, the results are automatically available on the OnDemand platform’s online portal. The resulting report not only explains each test’s results and highlights potential areas of concern but can also be shared with healthcare providers.
Several dozen tests and packages are available from the OnDemand site, including diagnostics to screen for COVID, pregnancy, diabetes risk, sexually transmitted infections, colorectal cancer and more. Prices range from $29 for a routine urine analysis or complete blood count test to $199 for an allergy test or a comprehensive health screening, and insurance is not accepted.
Though the platform is initially being launched as a direct-to-consumer offering, Labcorp said it plans to make its OnDemand tests available through physicians, insurers and employers over the course of this year.
Labcorp OnDemand replaces Pixel by Labcorp, the diagnostics giant’s original foray into direct-to-consumer testing. The Pixel platform launched in 2018 with a handful of health screening packages, all of which used samples collected at home and mailed to Labcorp in included postage-paid boxes. It eventually grew to include more than two dozen diagnostic kits, some of which required in-person specimen collection.
The Pixel name is now attached only to Labcorp’s at-home collection kits for COVID and combined COVID and flu PCR testing.
The launch of the OnDemand online store builds on Labcorp’s digital health offerings, which were further expanded just a few months ago with the acquisition of Ovia Health.
The Ovia platform is designed to provide support for women through the processes of family planning, pregnancy and parenting. It not only connects them with necessary testing and screening but also offers educational resources and matches them to clinical trials they may be eligible to join.