Eileen asked, “Have you evaluated the new Designs for Health stool testing?”
Chris: I think you might be referring to the Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory stool test. They partner with Designs for Health, but that’s from Diagnostic Solutions Lab. That’s the GI Map panel, and I evaluated that back in 2015, and I wasn’t a fan because they were using an older method of DNA PCR analysis, and now they are using a fantastic kit. I have said I think in the in the Gi unit when I first created this course, and I’ve updated it several times, that I expected that we would have a full DNA PCR analysis for GI pathogens in the near future, and now we do. The GI Map is a great test, and I’m actually going to be creating some new content about this test that you all have access to when it’s finished. I do think it’s a good option. We’re actually experimenting with replacing both the BioHealth 401 and the Doctors’ Data CSAP comprehensive stool tests with the GI Map for a period of time, and we’ll see. I’m kind of experimenting with it to see how that works out, so I’ll type the link into the chat box here. I expect that to be ready maybe in two or three months, the additional content, and we’ll just let you know when it’s ready. One of the nice things about this panel is that it has a five- to seven-day turnaround, which is much shorter than most others stool test. It also provides a quantitative report, so instead of just telling you that something is present or not present, it actually gives you a quantification so you know the volume, how much of that pathogen is present. With the H. pylori, this is awesome. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. They provide virulence factor testing, so we know with the H. pylori that it’s not just a question of whether you have it but whether you have a more virulent strain that determines the risk of causing disease or clinical problems. This is one of the first labs available to us as clinicians that I’m aware of that provides this for virulence testing, so that’s pretty exciting.