Lab Tests Online Launches in the UK
The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC), publisher of Lab Tests Online, the premiere web site for laboratory testing information, launched a second version of the site, and the first international edition, today in the United Kingdom. The original Lab Tests Online (http://www.labtestsonline.org ) is targeted to the US population and currently attracts more than 300,000 visitors a month.
The new site, located at http://www.labtestsonline.org.uk/ , adapts the award-winning content of Lab Tests Online for the benefit of patients and families in the British Isles, and supplements it with original material that is of particular relevance there. Modifications to reflect the Queen’s English and differences in policy and practice give the site a more local flavor. The site is being launched with the support of the Ministry of Health.
Lab Tests Online is the only online resource for laboratory testing information developed by the laboratory community – the people who do the testing. Launched in July 2001, the original site served its five millionth visitor earlier this year. In its March 2004 issue, Prevention magazine called it one of the “smartest health sites on the web.” Lab Tests Online has received awards for its content, writing, and positive impact on American society.
Both editions of Lab Tests Online offer detailed information on a growing number of tests, and describe a range of conditions based on the tests used to screen, diagnose, and monitor them. Users are also able to submit questions about their lab tests and get custom responses from clinical scientists, typically within 24-48 hours. Feature articles further distinguish the site – topics include the meaning of reference ranges, test reliability, and the universe of genetic testing.
More than 80% of users surveyed by AACC say they would recommend the site to others.
The new version of Lab Tests Online is being published by the Association of Clinical Biochemists (ACB) under a license from AACC. ACB, a UK-based professional body dedicated to the practice and promotion of clinical science, obtained funding for the site from The Health Foundation, an independent charity that aims to improve health and the quality of healthcare for the people of the United Kingdom.
AACC has received funding for Lab Tests Online from more than 40 corporate sponsors, led by Bayer Healthcare Diagnostics, Beckman Coulter, Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, and Roche Diagnostics. Content for the site is developed in collaboration with 13 other laboratory associations in the US and Canada, representing a range of disciplines. The user response feature on the site is provided by one of the site’s partners, the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science. The site reflects a united effort by the laboratory community to educate patients about laboratory testing.
