Empowering patients and improving outcomes with innovations in convenient at-home testing

Chronic diseases are some of the primary contributors to the $4.5 trillion annual healthcare costs in the U.S. Simultaneously, certain chronic diseases such as diabetes and colon cancer also double as leading causes of death and disability. 

Many chronic diseases can be prevented or mitigated by engaging with modifiable lifestyle factors and adhering to a medical treatment plan. Unfortunately, patients don't always adhere to their treatment regiment, leaving hospitals and health systems searching for effective and efficient ways to close gaps in care.

Closing gaps in care for diabetes and colon cancer

Ochsner Health is the leading nonprofit healthcare provider in the Gulf South, delivering expert care at its 46 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers. They are also home to the largest academic medical center in Louisiana. Like many health systems, Ochsner wanted to find the best way to help patients manage their chronic conditions. 

To address this challenge, Ochsner collaborated with Labcorp to close gaps in care. They began participating in Labcorp's gaps in care program in 2021, with an initial focus on A1c testing. In 2022, the program expanded to include FIT kits for colorectal cancer screening. 

By leveraging Labcorp's at-home-test collection kit program, Ochsner successfully enhanced patient engagement, increased compliance with necessary screenings and improved healthcare quality metrics. Here's how it was done.

Using innovation to improve patient engagement

Using an innovative approach that integrated their Epic registry with Labcorp’s testing solutions, Ochsner sought to lead the way in value-based care. They employed a unique opt-in process to encourage patient participation in at-home testing.

Using MyChart, Ochsner proactively reached out to patients overdue for testing, offering them options to complete A1c tests for rising- and at-risk diabetes patients and fecal immunochemical test (FIT) screenings to screen for colon cancer, from the comfort of their homes.

This patient-centered approach let individuals take control of their health while removing traditional barriers to screening, such as scheduling conflicts and transportation issues.

Seamless bulk ordering and tracking to enhance efficiency

Once patients opted-in to complete their testing at home, Ochsner seamlessly processed bulk orders through their Epic electronic medical record (EMR) and transmitted them to Labcorp. The Epic bulk registry let Ochsner efficiently group patients into a single order—even when done by different providers—allowing for streamlined and coordinated ordering by each patient’s provider.

Ochsner’s care team used the at-home tracking report to follow up with patients on outstanding kits, making sure those who requested a test kit had the necessary support to complete and return their samples.

Program impacts: Increased return rates, Tier 5 Optimal Diabetes Care

 

                                   Return Rate by Test Type Over the Years

From 2022–2024, the FIT return rate averaged 43%, peaking at 50% in 2023. While A1c return rates were more variable, they averaged 27% during the same period. Despite year-to-year variation, both programs have contributed meaningfully to closing care gaps and improving preventive screening rates across the population.

Recognized by payers for excellence in diabetes management, Ochsner and their proactive approach to diabetes care has yielded remarkable outcomes. In 2024, they achieved 20 out of 20 possible points (Tier 5) for Optimal Diabetes Care within two of their commercial populations.

These results underscored the effectiveness of their integrated care model and the role Labcorp's home kit program played in driving patient compliance.