Pathology Lab and Health Information Exchange Partner with iSpecimen® to Bring COVID-19 Specimens to Researchers

LEXINGTON, Mass., Dec. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Through the iSpecimen Marketplace™, medical researchers can now access a new daily source of biospecimens from patients who have recently taken COVID-19 tests and consented to release their de-identified data. These biospecimens, including nasopharyngeal swabs, come with de-identified data from patients' medical records that is important to researchers.

The remnant test samples are made available through a new alliance among iSpecimen; Doctors Pathology Services (DPS), a pathology lab serving the mid-Atlantic region of the United States; and the Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN) health information exchange. All three are working together to make biospecimens from DPS's lab and associated data sets from DHIN available via the iSpecimen Marketplace to researchers worldwide who need them.

The newly available specimen-data combinations will support researchers working on COVID-19 treatments and vaccines.

"There's great demand for COVID-19 treatments and vaccines, and there's no reason researchers should wait weeks or even months for specimens before getting to work," said iSpecimen Founder and CEO Christopher Ianelli, MD, Ph.D. "Our mission is to simplify not only the collection of samples, but all the processes around the procurement, including data annotation, contracting, compliance, and delivery. We look forward to expanding our relationship with DPS and DHIN to cover more specimens, data, patients, conditions, and healthcare organizations to help accelerate medical progress in every way that we can."

Technology integration streamlines data sharing, enriches research

iSpecimen worked closely with DHIN to integrate COVID-19 test results into the iSpecimen Marketplace. As a result, DPS and other DHIN data-sending organizations participating in the iSpecimen Marketplace program do not have to integrate their own data sets directly with the iSpecimen Marketplace.

The integration gives researchers new real-time access to de-identified medical history data and associated specimens on consenting patients collected from DHIN data-sending organizations participating in the iSpecimen Marketplace program. The electronic data sharing eliminates the manual transcription of medical record data, decreasing the likelihood of procurement delays, gaps and errors.

"The value of clinical data extends beyond the immediate value of supporting direct patient care," said Jan Lee, MD, CEO of DHIN. "With informed patient consent, aggregated data can also help to match clinical specimens with specific research criteria – in this case, for developing COVID-19 treatments and vaccines."

Using the de-identified data from DHIN, researchers using the iSpecimen Marketplace can quickly discover biospecimens that are available from DHIN's data-sending members. The Marketplace then fields researchers' specific requests and matches them to lab samples available at DPS that are no longer needed for clinical care. iSpecimen's technology then alerts DPS to collect, pack, and ship the selected specimens to iSpecimen or directly to its researcher clients.

DPS manages 30,000 patient encounters a year and is one of the nation's largest pathology practices providing services to ambulatory surgical centers.

Since 2017, the iSpecimen Marketplace has streamlined biospecimen discovery, access, procurement, contracting, compliance and delivery, helping to accelerate research and provide additional revenue to health care organizations.

About Delaware Health Information Network 
DHIN was the first live, statewide health information exchange in the nation. Launched in 2007, today it serves all of Delaware's acute care hospitals and nearly 100% of the state's medical providers. More than 14,000,000 clinical results and reports are delivered through DHIN each year. There are over three million unique patients with results on DHIN, including patients from all 50 states. DHIN shares real-time clinical information to improve patient outcomes, eliminate the duplication of services and reduce the cost of healthcare. For more information about DHIN, visit www.DHIN.org or call 302-678-0220. Please also visit us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram (@DHIN_hie).

About DPS
Established in 1993, Doctors Pathology Service is a full-service pathology consulting and teaching organization that offers the convenience and accessibility of a hospital and the expansive expertise of a large commercial lab. DPS adds value to healthcare practices through comprehensive medical offerings, strong partnerships with academic institutions, and active involvement with regulatory and organized medicine. With its advanced technology offerings, DPS integrates into all types of practices, from single practitioners to large groups with several locations. Visit www.dpspa.com. 

About iSpecimen
Headquartered in Lexington, MA, iSpecimen offers a marketplace for human biospecimens, providing researchers with the specimens they need from the patients they want. The privately held company has developed the iSpecimen Marketplace™, an online platform connecting healthcare organizations that have access to patients and specimens with the scientists who need them. Proprietary, cloud-based technology enables researchers to intuitively search for specimens and patients across a federated partner network of hospitals, labs, biobanks, blood centers, and other healthcare organizations. Researchers easily and compliantly gain access to specimens to drive scientific discovery. Partner sites gain an opportunity to contribute to biomedical discovery as well as their bottom line. Ultimately, healthcare advances for all. For more information about iSpecimen, please visit iSpecimen.com.

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SOURCE iSpecimen