OhioHealth Utilizes PTS Detect™ Cotinine System for Quantitative, Point-of-Care Tobacco-Detection

INDIANAPOLIS, March 01, 2016 -- PTS Diagnostics, the U.S.-based manufacturer of point-of-care biometric testing devices including the CardioChek^® family of analyzers and A1CNow^® systems, recently assisted the multiple hospital network OhioHealth (Columbus, Ohio) with point-of-care tobacco-detection testing on its PTS Detect™ cotinine system.

The PTS Detect cotinine system is the first and only point-of-care cotinine system offering quantitative results from a fingerstick. The PTS Detect cotinine system is a portable device offering specific, reliable, accurate and fast results.

OhioHealth Employer Services, which provides biometric screening services to area employer groups, was previously using an oral swab tobacco-detection testing approach.

“We were very pleased when PTS Diagnostics approached us with their innovative approach to tobacco-detection using blood from a fingerstick,” said Roberta Carducci, Clinical Manager for OhioHealth Employer Services. “The ability to get a quantitative result in just 5 minutes is an important capability.  Based on the positive feedback we have received from our employer clients, our hospital system administration and employees, we are planning to test approximately 5,000 individuals using the PTS Detect cotinine system.”

The PTS Detect cotinine system measures quantified cotinine (a byproduct of nicotine) levels from 25 ng/mL to 200 ng/mL in just 5 minutes. It measures levels that can indicate the number of cigarettes smoked per day. Healthcare professionals can use this information to place participants into one of four categories: non-user, possible passive exposure, light tobacco user or heavy tobacco user. In recent evaluations, the portable PTS Detect system provided results with similar sensitivity and specificity ranges to laboratory instruments.

Another benefit is the cost savings that can be realized with the PTS Detect cotinine system. As a fingerstick test, the expense of employing phlebotomists for venous blood testing is eliminated. With no shipping of specimens to the laboratory and fewer confirmatory tests, the PTS Detect cotinine system is well-positioned for the workplace. Further, the fingerstick collection can be done in conjunction with other onsite screenings.

PTS Diagnostics has a long-standing relationship with OhioHealth dating back to 2013.

“Very shortly after the launch of the CardioChek Plus analyzer, OhioHealth’s wellness program for its employees served as a launching pad for a very successful relationship that includes lipid and glucose testing as well as A1C testing with the A1CNow+ system, and cotinine testing with the PTS Detect cotinine system,” said Robert Huffstodt, President and CEO of PTS Diagnostics. “We are quite pleased to have the opportunity to work with such a prestigious health care system.”

OhioHealth will screen approximately 30,000 wellness participants using the CardioChek analyzer, test about 12,000 participants using the A1CNow+ system, and about 5,000 using the PTS Detect cotinine test.

“Central to OhioHealth’s decision to utilize PTS Diagnostics’ point-of-care medical testing devices were clinical evaluations of each product to ensure accurate and precise results matching quality standards,” said Carducci. “Our mission is to improve the health of those we serve. Providing high-quality clinical service and customer service excellence are imperative to the organization’s mission. Point-of-care testing further advances the organization’s objectives.”

OhioHealth Employer Services expects continued expansion in the number of employer groups it works with in the future. “Our employer groups know we deliver excellent customer service and the highest quality clinical services,” said Carducci.

Huffstodt concluded, “PTS Diagnostics’ integration into OhioHealth is just one example of how its fast, easy, accurate and innovative product portfolio can be successful within larger integrated healthcare delivery networks (IDNs).”

About OhioHealth
OhioHealth is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit, charitable, healthcare organization with Methodist roots. Based in Columbus, Ohio, OhioHealth is currently recognized as one of the top five large health systems in America by Truven Health Analytics, an honor it has received six times. It is also recognized by FORTUNE Magazine as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” and has been for nine years in a row, 2007-2015.

Serving its communities since 1891, it is a family of 28,000 associates, physicians and volunteers, and a network of 11 hospitals, 50+ ambulatory sites, hospice, home-health, medical equipment and other health services spanning a 40-county area.

OhioHealth hospitals include OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, OhioHealth Doctors Hospital, OhioHealth Grady Memorial Hospital, OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital, OhioHealth Hardin Memorial Hospital, OhioHealth Marion General Hospital, OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital, OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital, OhioHealth Shelby Hospital and OhioHealth Rehabilitation Hospital. For more information, please visit our website at www.ohiohealth.com.

About PTS Diagnostics
PTS Diagnostics is an innovative, global, point-of-care diagnostics solutions provider that partners with patients and healthcare professionals to provide the right information at the right time to make the right decisions. The company’s name represents the three pillars upon which it has built its long-term success: People, Technology and Service. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, PTS Diagnostics designs, manufactures, distributes and markets products for distribution in more than 135 countries around the world. For more information, visit www.ptsdiagnostics.com or contact Tom Wiser at 317-870-5610 or [email protected].

Tom Wiser
317-517-2216