ASEF/PASEF Luncheon

Making Medical Testing more Accessible and more Affordable, Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Larry J. Kricka 

Today there are many types of tests and testing that can be performed away from the confines of a hospital. P4 Medicine (Personalized, Predictive, Preventive, and Participatory) is designed to slash the costs of laboratory testing (for example, through the use of Wellness Centers). This modern option may curb the spiraling costs of healthcare. As consumers we have access to many locations that provide direct testing, such as pharmacies and retail health clinics. Also available in our technological age is the capacity for Direct to Consumer testing and collection kits via the Internet. New routes for obtaining testing devices such as thermometers, blood pressure monitors, and glucose meters are also increasing. Finally, due to the explosion of medical apps on phones and tablets, self-testing and monitoring devices are quickly creating unprecedented possibilities in medicine.

Dr. Larry J. Kricka is Director of the General Chemistry and the Critical Care Laboratories, and Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center. His current research focuses on point-of-care and direct to consumer testing.