Chemistry profiles in "wellness programs": test selection and participant outcomes

Area of Science:

• Clinical Chemistry
• Preventive Medicine
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Wellness programs increasingly demand laboratory testing for health assessment.
• Routine chemical tests, lipid profiles, ferritin, and thyroid tests are common in these programs.
• Effective identification and intervention for abnormalities are crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of laboratory tests in wellness programs.
• To assess the rate of significant abnormalities and subsequent interventions.
• To determine the impact of specific tests like ferritin and thyroid on therapeutic actions.

Main Methods:

• 1338 individuals were tested using a panel including automated chemistry, HDL cholesterol, ferritin, and thyroid tests.
• Follow-up contact was made with individuals showing significant abnormalities.
• Interventions were tracked, including physician-initiated actions and participant-driven changes.

Main Results:

• 16.7% of participants (224/1338) had significant abnormalities.
• Follow-up was achieved with 86% (193/224) of those with abnormalities.
• Interventions were initiated in 55 cases (28.5% of followed-up individuals), with ferritin and thyroid tests driving 61% of these.
• 4% of all participants potentially benefited from interventions.

Conclusions:

• Laboratory testing within wellness programs can identify individuals needing intervention.
• Ferritin and thyroid tests are particularly effective in prompting therapeutic actions.
• A small but significant percentage of participants may benefit from proactive health interventions identified through these tests.