Boston Heart Diagnostics Offers Graphically Rich, Personalized Test Reports

Although personalized medicine remains a growing niche in health care delivery, it is also hotly competitive. Many specialty laboratories painstakingly hone their products in order to attract the attention of patients and clinicians who may be on the fence about using it. Boston Heart Diagnostics has invested a couple of years and millions of dollars in its new cardiovascular health report that it hopes will spur both patients and their doctors to order its assays. Simply called the Diagnostic Report, it runs 25-plus pages and its graphical interface is well beyond that of the typical laboratory report. It refers to the patient by their first name and focuses on four areas specific to them: Their lipids, inflammation, metabolics and genetics. Pages are dominated by large drawings of the human circulatory system and coronary artery cutaways in order to discuss various vascular conditions and how it impacts the patient. The text contains straightforward metaphors, such as comparing the patient’s coronary arteries to plumbing in their home (plaque replaces grease, the arteries representing metal pipes and the blood the home’s flow of water). If the cardiac testing indicates that the patient is at risk, it will say that the patient is in danger “because you have a high risk of forming a blockage that can lead to a heart attack or a stroke.” Test results, such as cholesterol and triglyceride levels, are inserted into a slide-like graphic labeled “good,” “caution,” or “danger.” A section called “where you stand” delves into specifics about that patient’s condition, with phrases such as “too much” or “more than you should” or “looking good.” Boston Heart Chief Executive Officer Susan Hertzberg said the new report has been a part of her overall plan since she arrived at the Massachusetts-based company five years ago. “Most patients don’t even get their lab reports, and when they do, it’s a bunch of numbers and (letters),” Hertzberg said, adding that such hazy data is among the reasons 30 percent of patients with high cholesterol levels don’t refill their statin prescriptions after the first regimen and 60 percent don’t refill it after the first year. “Contextualizing information has been a goal of mine.” Peter Francis, president of Clinical Laboratory Sales Training, a Maryland-based consulting firm, believes the report offers some advantages. “The Boston Heart report appears very easy for anyone to understand—and that may be their sales ‘hook.’ It’s not cluttered with a variety of sub-particle HDL and VLDL statistics [offered by] other heart labs.” Francis added that having a report with simple graphics and straightforward explanations can also improve communications between physicians and their patients. That’s what Hertzberg would prefer. She noted that the report was designed specifically to better inform patients and create dialogues with their caregivers. “What’s driving disease rates in this country are the way we eat, the way we sleep, lack of exercise. And unless we take a more holistic approach and replace some fear with optimism, it’s not going to change.” Along with the test results, the report also offers suggestions on how patients can improve their readings, including advice on improving their diets and level of exercise. Boston Heart also offers coaching with dietitians in order to prompt patients to make the lifestyle changes that can improve their health. Of course, Hertzberg also sees the company benefiting from the new report, which will be used to pitch the company's testing services through its existing pipeline of about 70 sales representatives. Although it has grown from about $2 million in annual revenue when she came on board in 2010, to about $95 million today, Boston Heart provided testing services for about 500,000 patients last year. The fact that coronary vascular disease is pretty much endemic in the United States means Boston Heart has far more upside growth potential. “We see this as offering an integrated value proposition to the doctors treating these patients,” Hertzberg said. Takeaway: Boston Heart Diagnostics is pushing graphical representations on its lab reports to better involve the patient in improving their cardiac health.