We have a new blog series that features each of our lab partners so that you can get to know them better! Next up is Doctor’s Data. We interviewed the Marketing Director at Doctor’s Data, Inc. to learn more about their lab company, the most commonly ordered tests, and the technology behind their testing.
Introducing Doctor’s Data!
How long have you been in business?
48 years! We were founded in 1972.
Wow, that is along time! What do you focus on at Doctor's Data?
Our mission is to improve lives through science. We focus on specialty testing that help doctors identify health risks and improve outcomes for patients with chronic conditions.
What technology do you use at the lab?
Doctor's Data has spared no effort in creating a modern physical plant equipped with the most advanced instrumentation available to support our scientific team. The laboratory is a model of innovation, featuring state-of-the-art design, systems and materials which support our exacting work through optimal cleanliness, contamination control and streamlined specimen flow.
Our expertly trained team is supported by advanced instruments such as dynamic reaction cell inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (DRC-ICP/MS) for elemental analysis, DNA amplification assays, and automated identification and antimicrobial sensitivity instruments for recognition of bacterial resistance mechanisms and phenotypes in our clinical microbiology department. To learn more, click here.
What are the main conditions practitioners are using your labs to diagnose and treat?
Doctor’s Data helps practitioners assess and treat gastrointestinal function, hormone status, heavy metal burden, nutritional deficiencies, cardiovascular risk, liver and metabolic abnormalities, and more.
What are the most popular tests ordered through your lab?
- The Comprehensive Stool Analysis with Parasitology (CSAP) has been a very popular test, and now we have introduced the GI360™ to add valuable assessment of the GI microbiome in terms of bacterial abundance and diversity, using extremely sensitive and validated PCR technology. Both the GI360™ and CSAP are excellent tests providing actionable information. The CSAP utilizes growth-based culture and ID by MALDI-TOF, important stool chemistries, and microscopy to detect and assess the status of commensals, dysbiotic and pathogenic bacteria, yeast and parasites. The GI360™ built on the CSAP with addition of remarkably sensitive and reproducible PCR technologies. The GI360™ includes The Dysbiosis Index, a calculation based on the overall bacterial abundance and profile within the patient's sample, as well as PCR detection of pathogenic bacteria, viruses and parasites. You can learn more at GI360.com, where we have a wealth of information including videos, webinars, podcasts, posters and abstracts and more.
- Toxic & Essential Elements in urine are also popular profiles. Analysis of the levels of toxic metals in urine after the administration of a metal detoxification agent is an objective way to evaluate the accumulation of toxic metals. Acute metal poisoning is rare. More common, however, is a chronic, low-level exposure to toxic metals that can result in significant retention in the body that can be associated with a vast array of adverse health effects and chronic disease, including GI symptoms, immune dysfunction, inflammation, and depression.
- Endocrinology tests such as hormone and cortisol analysis, and neurotransmitters are commonly ordered. Changes in sex hormones and adrenal hormones can lead to neurotransmitter imbalances. And at the same time, neurotransmitter imbalances will affect hormone production and function. Testing both neurotransmitters and hormones provides a comprehensive view of the body’s functional neuroendocrine status, and brings to light additional factors that may be contributing to symptoms, which can include mood disorders, fatigue, insomnia, and loss of mental focus or “brain fog.
%201.svg){kind=logo}
