Insights

Lab Testing Trends Year-to-Date Through May 8 - Prognos Health

Written by Nick Zgorski | May 20, 2020 1:45:25 PM

Prognos is analyzing lab testing trends in 2020 and more specifically, looking at the impact of COVID-19 on testing trends at a national level.

For more information on the regional and local level, or a specific test or brand, contact us.

Methodology: A large representative sample from the Prognos lab testing registry was pulled as a proxy for a national volume of testing. Then trends are compared on a weekly basis year-to-date.

Summary Findings

Week ending May 8th, 2020

  • After the first week of January which is typically 40% of the typical weekly volume due to holidays leading up to New Years Day, the national trend in testing was relatively stable through the week ending 3/13/20.  
  • There were expected slight dips in January and February due to national holidays (MLK/President’s Day).
  • Over the two-week period ending 3/27, the national trend decreased 23% and 38% weekly, for an overall drop of 53% over those two weeks.
  • Since then, the market trend has stabilized and showing signs of recovery with three consecutive weeks of double-digit percentage increases. Data from the most recent period (week ending 5/8) shows an increase with a 21% increase over the prior week.
  • Based on these trends, five weeks of stable or increasing trends, indications are there that the national lab testing volume is rebounding.

For the most recent period (week ending 5/8) testing trends showed a 21% increase over the prior week, indicating a clear upward trend in testing.

The national trend over the most recent annual period (4/19 – 5/20) shows a stable weekly trend, with dips associated with holidays.  Testing for the week of 5/8/20 is 21% higher than prior week, but 33% lower than same week prior year, which is also an improvement over last week’s comparison.

For more information on the regional and local level, or a specific test or brand, contact us.