Elderly woman with a sterile universal container with a urine specimen tready for analysis

In-home care provider DispatchHealth is teaming up with diagnostics testing firm Pathnostics to address one of the most commonly diagnosed ailments in older adults: urinary tract infections (UTIs).

The two firms are partnering on an observational study to determine whether Guidance UTI is superior to standard urine culture (SUC) practices in people suspected of having UTIs.  Guidance UTI is an advanced precision diagnostic test from Pathnostics with rapid results for the management of complicated, recurrent, or persistent UTIs and patients at elevated risk of getting UTIs. 

“DispatchHealth has a unique and proven care model that makes them the ideal partner for this clinical research,” Pathnostics CEO and Vice Chairman David Pauluzzi said in a statement.. “As a trailblazing innovator dedicated to revolutionizing healthcare, they bring one-of-a-kind, home-based capabilities to this study that will evaluate the impact of advanced UTI testing on patient outcomes and costs, and provide important insights to patients, providers and payers about whether advanced testing can help get at-risk patients on the right path sooner.”

DispatchHealth’s clinical providers will enroll an estimated 6,800 patients in the study, while providing care to them in their homes. Patients will be followed to determine if and how health outcomes and management are affected based on whether the UTI diagnosis and subsequent treatment is based on a Guidance UTI or SUC.

Data collected in the study could support an analysis of Medicare claims presented recently by the American Urology Association showing significant health outcomes and cost-related benefits associated with Guidance UTI. 

Urinary tract infections are one of the most commonly diagnosed in older adults. The ailment is second only to respiratory infections for patients over the age of 65. UTIs can cause extreme discomfort, as well as confusion and hallucinations in older adults.