Q: Why should I get tested?
More and more people like you want to take charge of their personal well-being or their “wellness.” At WellnessReportCard.com™ and Biomed Personal Metabolic and Nutritional Testing, Inc., we believe that means you have to know your metabolic and nutritional status and that can come only through testing. Establishing a baseline and then re-testing periodically to measure the impact of changes to your personal choices along the pathway to wellness can provide reassurance or re-direction -- both important to you to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Additionally, testing can help expose risk factors and provide a means of early detection. Overall, regular testing using the Wellness Report Card metabolic and nutritional testing program can provide more meaningful interactions with your healthcare professional because our program provides important information to YOU in a manner that is easily understood and interpreted putting YOU in charge of YOUR personal wellness.
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Q: Will it feel any different to have my test if WellnessReportCard.com will be handling my test data as compared to how the blood drawing procedure would have felt for a traditional doctor’s office lab test?
A: There is no difference in the sensations experienced. The instruments are the same, the methods are the same, the qualifications of the people obtaining the samples are the same, and the time involved is the same. In conventional lab work, only a few readings are taken on the sample, and the results are written down in a record that stays in the doctor’s office. Your personal health data is not very useful to you there. With WellnessReportCard.com you can access your health data 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You get much more to show for having been through a procedure.
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Q: How do I check on the status of my tests?
A: Your results are usually ready within 48-72 hours of having your blood drawn and processed. Go back to the healthcare professional from whom you purchased your Wellness Report Card testing system. He or she will review your metabolic and nutritional status and make recommendations as you begin your journey to wellness. Your healthcare professional will also give you a confidential personal identification number during your visit. This number is your personal and private key to the results of your metabolic and nutritional laboratory results. You can access them at any time via the Internet. Your personal I.D. will also open the door to a whole new world of information about your health and well-being. If you don’t have Internet access at home, you can still access your results at the public library or at a family member or friend’s computer. You may also ask your healthcare professional for a copy of your results while you are in his or her office.
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Q: What is a reference range?
A: The “reference range” indicates values of various metabolic and nutritional results that are considered to be within a normal range as determined by the laboratory performing the tests. These normal values will be included along with your results that are reported to your healthcare professional. The American Chiropractic Association also has their established “reference range” for the various analytes. These results will likewise be included in the report you receive, if elected by your healthcare professional.
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Q: Will I be able to understand my lab results?
A: The results of your tests will be provided in a simple table format where they will be compared to the normal “reference range” values. In addition, when you use the Internet to review your report, you will be able to click on the results and learn more about your actual value and what it may mean to your health. Once you have multiple test results, you will be able to use the table to easily and quickly compare your latest test results to your previous test results as well as to the normal “reference range” values.
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Q: How often should I repeat my tests?
A: If you are making lifestyle changes or using nutritional supplements to improve your health you will likely want to repeat your tests every three months in order to properly track your progress on the pathway to wellness. However, if you are taking medication for arthritis, such as methotrexate, or if you are an athlete in training, you may need to have your testing performed every 6 weeks.
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Q: Should I continue to take my medicine before getting my test?
A: Some textbooks say that you should stop your medication three weeks prior to having your testing performed. We, however, recommend that you continue to take your medication up to and including the day before you have your blood drawn. You will, however, need to be in a fasting state for 12 hours prior to having your blood drawn so do NOT take your medication on the morning you are going to have the procedure. If you are a diabetic, you should consult your healthcare professional for specific instructions regarding fasting and medication use in preparation for the testing.
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Q: Do I need to fast before my test?
A: Yes. The metabolic and nutritional laboratory testing available in the Wellness Report Card includes blood glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL (good) cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol. These tests are critical in determining your risk for the development of strokes and heart attacks. For these tests to be accurate and meaningful to you and your family, you must fast for 12 hours prior to having your blood drawn. Furthermore, for the thyroid function studies to be accurate, the tests must be performed shortly after you have awakened from a full sleep cycle. If you are a diabetic, you should consult your healthcare professional for specific instructions regarding fasting and preparation for the testing.
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Q: What is fasting?
A: Fasting means that you do not eat or drink anything other than clear water. Fasting is critical for your results to be accurate. Beginning 12 hours before testing, you shouldn’t eat or drink anything except water. Once you’ve had your blood drawn, you’re free to eat and drink whatever you like…as long as it’s healthy.
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Q: What happens if I forget and eat within 12 hours of my appointment time?
A: DO NOT allow your blood to be drawn. You may be embarrassed to admit your mistake, but remember, you’re paying for these studies and you most certainly want them to be accurate. Accurate tracking of your progress down the wellness pathway is dependent upon a close comparison to your previous fasting quarterly test results.
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Q: Where are my laboratory tests performed?
A: Your FDA-approved metabolic and nutritional laboratory tests are performed by a CLIA certified, state licensed medical laboratory that also provides similar testing for several large hospitals.
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Q: When will I get my test result information?
A: You will usually receive your results within 48-72 hours
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Q: Will you contact me about my results?
A: Your healthcare professional will contact you when your results are in. The rules and laws of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), state that your results must be returned to your licensed healthcare professional. Once he or she goes over your results with you, you will have full access to your test results via the Internet, or by regular mail.
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Q: What do I do if I am contacted about a test result that is considered significantly outside a normal reference range?
A: It’s very important for you to follow up with your healthcare professional, as soon as possible, for evaluation of the abnormal laboratory result. These values are communicated to your healthcare professional as soon as the results are available in our offices. He or she will be responsible for letting you know of any significantly abnormal laboratory result.
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Q: Can my doctor view my results directly?
A: Your healthcare professional will have access to your laboratory results. Your metabolic and nutritional laboratory results must be sent to the healthcare professional who provided you with the Wellness Report Card testing and educational system. They, in turn, will provide you with your private identification number. Your physician will have a record of this number, enabling him or her to have access to your laboratory results in order to review them privately and with you on you return visit.
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Q: Does my insurance cover my tests?
A: After meeting with one of the major medical insurance companies, it is our understanding that insurance companies will pay for testing IF your policy has a wellness rider attached. The insurance company may not pay for the Wellness Report Card testing and education program if your healthcare professional is using the testing system for screening.
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Q: When is customer service available?
A: The Customer Care Center is open from 9:00am to 4:00pm (central time), Monday through Friday except Federal holidays, the day after Christmas, the day after Thanksgiving and the day after News Year Day. Our Customer Care representatives will be available to assist you in answering questions regarding the use of the Wellness Report Card testing and educational system and to assist you in locating a participant in the Wellness Report Card testing and educational system in your area.
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Q: How do you address my concerns about the privacy and security of my personal information?
A: As you moved about our website to find the frequently asked question section, you may have noticed the section entitled “Privacy.” You will find our full privacy policy as it relates to the HIPPA regulations by clicking on the “Privacy” tab.
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Q: Does the law require the release of information contained in my laboratory test results?
A: Some states require our company to report the results of certain laboratory results to their state Center For Disease Control offices.
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Q: Can anyone see my test results?
A: Your confidential, private identification number prevents any outside person from viewing the results of your laboratory studies. Your healthcare professional and his or her office staff may have access to your results as well as certain members of the Wellness Report Card team. To further guard your privacy, your specimen is transported to the CLIA certified, state licensed laboratory in a secure manner. The transport tubes are identified only by the bar codes attached to them. Should your health care professional send you to an official drawing site, that facility will have your name, not your password.
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Q: Will Wellness Report Card take the place of my healthcare professional?
A: NO. The Wellness Report Card testing and educational testing system has been designed to encourage communications between you and your healthcare professional. After you receive your results from his or her office, the Wellness Report Card will give you access to additional types of educational materials that you can review with your healthcare professional.
