Thank you for choosing MedArbor Diagnostics for your laboratory testing needs. We take your decision to partner with MedArbor seriously and we appreciate your confidence in our laboratory. Choosing a diagnostic laboratory to help diagnose and treat your patients is a very important decision. If you are yet to make that decision, or if you are a client and simply have additional questions; we hope you will find the answer(s) to your questions or email us with your question at info@medarbor.com.
Physician FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions
Company FAQs
A. MedArbor is Full-service Diagnostic Laboratory offering Molecular, Toxicology, Blood Wellness and Physician Owned Laboratory Solutions Molecular:
- 12 – 24 hour turn-around times on Molecular infectious disease assays
- Sound sample preservative-based collection and transit protocols that prevent bacteria from reproducing in transit
- More clinically defensible pathogen detection threshold of 10 (10,000 unique microorganisms/ml)than competitors using lower thresholds without preservative based collection and transit protocols
- Significantly reduces chances of specimen contamination
- Provides results every time – never receive a “no growth” result
- Provides Antibiotic Resistance Marker detection and results
- Provides Multi-drug resistance infection based antibiotic treatment guidance – not unreliable monomicrobial phenotypical sensitivity results
- Consultative Pharmacy Services aid physicians with selecting effective and safe treatment regimens
- Gold Standard Quantitative urine drug testing with LC-MS/MS technology – dual Mass Spectrometers Easily interpreted, comprehensive “One Page” Toxicology reports - Monitor patient compliance and support clinical decision making - Identify risks for severe and major multi-drug interactions - Classify test results as consistent or inconsistent with a patient’s treatment plan - Detect potential abuse, misuse, and deviation from compliance
- Gain hours of productivity and ensure compliance through automated integration with state PDMP databases
A. MedArbor is both COLA (The Commission on Office Laboratory Accreditation) and CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) Accredited. COLA is a laboratory accreditation program that is widely recognized as the ‘gold standard’ and has served as a model for various federal, state, and private laboratory accreditation programs throughout the world. CLIA has establish quality standards for all laboratory testing to ensure the accuracy, reliability, and timeliness of patient test results regardless of where the test was performed.
A1. You can expect MedArbor to provide comprehensive, accurate and meaningful test results at the most competitive turn-around times every time you order a test
A2. Our billing and collection policies are patient and practice centric. We don’t zero balance bill and we work with patients to put their billing concerns to rest
Technology FAQs
A. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a laboratory technique used for copying and replicating a piece of DNA unique to a targeted pathogen using select reagents.
With each step of the reaction, the number of DNA molecules increases exponentially and in just a few hours of running the reaction, hundreds of thousands to millions of copies of the target DNA can be made and easily detected. PCR has therefore become an important tool in the rapid diagnosis of infectious disease
A. When heated, the strands of the Double Helix separate. Lower temperatures cause them to rejoin with the nucleotides and regain the double helical structure. This is known as an amplification cycle. The sequences of DNA molecules associated with the unique target pathogen are detected by PCR during several amplification cycles.
A1. Diagnose early and treat appropriately diseases marked by fastidious pathogens
A2. Determine antimicrobial treatment that considers detected antibiotic resistance markers
A3. Detect and treat slower growing gram+ organisms.
A4. Detect and treat polymicrobial infections
A5. Detect and treat mixed infections
A6. Detect bacteria, viruses and fungi with one test
Clinical Diagnosis FAQs
A. Diagnostic tests such as PCR are used in conjunction with patient symptoms, history, and other information that the provider deems appropriate to properly diagnose and treat the patient.
A. Comprehensive PCR molecular technology is more sensitive than culture and can reliably detect multiple and slower growing organisms in the specimen – things culture simply can’t provide. Therefore it is not uncommon for culture results to differ from PCR’s more comprehensive and accurate results.
A. MedArbor’s PCR technology offers better than 95% sensitivity and specificity
A. Recurrent or chronic UTIs are often the result of multiple organism. Current data supports that 30% of UTI’s are polymicrobial in nature. Urine culture is biased towards a single infectious organism based on CFU (colony-forming unit) count, possibly leading to inappropriate therapy. Some fastidious organisms are difficult or simply do not grow in standard culture which may lead to incorrect treatment or non-treatment. The advantage of PCR is the ability to test for and detect multiple organisms simultaneously, including those that may not grow readily in culture. MedArbor’s PCR technology also provides clinicians with Multidrug Resistant treatment guidance based on the detection of Antibiotic Resistance Markers.
A1. Differentiating between a bacterial infections and the flu is critical because complications associated with Influenza can be deadly in “high risk” patients. A2. The CDC notes that rapid influenza testing has a sensitivity ranging from approximately 50% to 70% meaning that up to half of influenza cases relying on repaid flu swab test results will produce false negatives. A3. Bacterial and Viral infections often present with similar symptoms. Effective treatment hinges on knowing whether the patient’s infection is viral, bacterial or fungal A4. The need to quickly identify the causative agent of the infection bacteria vs. virus differentiates Upper Respiratory Infections from chronic wound’s and UTI’s A5. The closer to symptom on-set that an antiviral is introduced the greater chance it has of being effective.
A. Clinicians must be cautious to avoid over interpreting the significance of microbiology wound cultures in their clinical evaluation of non-healing wounds. Elongated culture resulting allows for the bacterial burden of the wound to change substantially by the time culture results are provided making diagnosis and treatment a moving target. Molecular biology has proven that culture methodologies can be markedly less sensitive to bacterial detection than DNA detection methodologies like Polymerase Chain Reaction.
PCR vs. Microbiological Culture Testing FAQs
A1. PCR is undeniably faster, more sensitive and more accurate than Culture.
A2. PCR doesn’t compromise on the amount of meaningful data it provides for speed. Conversely, Our UTI and Wound Tests detect Fungi, Gram -/+ bacteria, resistance genes and provide CDC and FDA supported Treatment Guidance all in 12 - 24 hours
A3. MedArbor’s RPP Panel provides physicians with detection of a combination of 36 viral, bacterial and fungal targets including 4 resistance genes
A4. PCR quickly identifies mixed, mono, polymicrobial infections AND gene resistance markers
A5. PCR results are not dependent on a lab tech’s abilities, nor the time it takes to grow bacteria in a culture dish resulting in more comprehensive and accurate sets of data with faster turn-around times.
A6. PCR’s ability to detect resistance markers better supports antibiotic stewardship reducing treatment failures and adverse events due to improper Rx
A7. PCR will never generate “no growth” results
A8. PCR greatly reduces the chances of receiving “contaminated” test results
Lab Report FAQs
A. You may select from any of three options:
- MedArbor’s secure physician portal
- Secure email
- Secure fax
A. Yes, after 90 days of successful relationship history, MedArbor will work your practice and EMR provider to build an HL7 interface between MedArbor’s LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) and your EMR.
A. Treatment Guidance provides clinicians with CDC and FDA recommended antibiotic treatment options. Enhanced Treatment Guidance provides clinicians with CDC and FDA recommended multidrug resistant treatment options based on the presence of resistance makers detected by PCR.
Testing FAQs
Yes, MedArbor offer's testing for COVID-19 utilizing a RT-PCR for Nasal and Saliva collection methods. Our methods are currently under review by the FDA for EUA approval. While under review, MedArbor is permitted to utilize both methods for clinical testing. In addition, MedArbor has validated an EUA approved assay for Nasal Only issued to ThermoFisher called "TaqPath COVID-19 Combo Kit." For information on this assay, please see Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers and Fact Sheet for Patients. MedArbor also has validated an EUA approved assay for testing of Neutralizing Antibodies issued to GenScript USA, Inc. called "cPASS SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization Antibody Detection Kit." For information on this antibody test, please see Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers and Fact Sheet for Recipients.
Most insurances pay for nAb and COVID-19 testing. If your test is not covered or you prefer to pay cash, our pricing is $150 per test.
Most insurances pay for COVID-19 testing. If your test is not covered or you prefer to pay cash, our pricing is $175 per test.
Most insurances pay for COVID-19 testing. If your test is not covered or you prefer to pay cash, our pricing is $250 per test.
A. Urinary Tract Infections, Wound and Upper Respiratory Infections include ABR marker testing and Enhanced Treatment Guidance
A. Yes, patients on antibiotics should not be tested until the antibiotics have cleared the patient’s system
Specimen Collection FAQs
A. We accept urine, blood, saliva, nasal, throat and fecal swabs and nail clippings. Each sample will have its own set of simple collections guidelines. A complete set of collection instructions can be found in your MedArbor “In-service Manual” provided on the day of your in-service training.
A. Specimens being tested via PCR are not typically affected by time. This is because PCR is detecting the presence of pathogenic DNA rather than growing bacteria in a culture dish. However we recommend sending all samples being tested for infectious diseases the same day the sample is collected.
Shipping FAQs
A. MedArbor provides complimentary over-night shipping via Federal Express and UPS
A. You have several options
- MedArbor can schedule specimen pick-up for you on a daily or semi-daily basis
- You can call Federal Express or UPS and schedule a pick-up when you have samples to ship
- You can piggy-back shipments if you already have regularly scheduled pick-up via Federal Express or UPS
- You can drop your pre-paid packages off at any FedEx/Kinkos or UPS stores
Supplies FAQs
A. To order supplies, simply click on the order supplies tab in the top right corner of our website www.medarbor.com where you can order the appropriate kit(s) by completing and submitting a digital Supply Order Form.
A. We ask that you please call us at 888.590.0808 or email us at labsupplies@medarbor.com. You may also call your MedArbor sales representative for assistance.
A. Please call us at 888.590.0808 or email us at labsupplies@medarbor.com. You may also call your MedArbor sales representative for assistance.
A. Supplies are typically shipped out 2nd day priority. If you need supplies including requisitions or FedEx/UPS shipping supplies faster, please call us at 888.590.0808 or email us at labsupplies@medarbor.com. You may also call your MedArbor sales representative for assistance.
A. We ask that you order 30 – 60 days of inventory based on your needs.