ARUP Laboratories Launches National Infectious Disease Test Positivity Trends Dashboard

SALT LAKE CITY-ARUP Laboratories announced today the launch of its National Infectious Disease Test Positivity Trends Dashboard, the first tool developed by a U.S. reference laboratory to track laboratory test positivity trends for multiple pathogens. The dashboard uses deidentified test results to reveal national trends that may help clinical laboratories, medical directors, and clinicians detect unusual patterns, seasonal shifts, and emerging infectious disease activity earlier.

"As a national reference laboratory, ARUP sees enough testing volume to identify meaningful trends for certain pathogens. This dashboard was designed to give our clients, laboratories, and clinicians information they can use to make better decisions for their patients," said Ben Bradley, MD, PhD, ARUP medical director of the Institute for Research and Innovation in Infectious Disease Genomic Technologies, High Consequence Pathogen Response, Virology, and Molecular Infectious Diseases.

Ben Bradley, MD, PhD, ARUP medical director of the Institute for Research and Innovation in Infectious Disease Genomic Technologies, High Consequence Pathogen Response, Virology, and Molecular Infectious Diseases, and Jenna Rychert, PhD, ARUP director of Laboratory and Clinical IT and medical director of Microbial Immunology and Customer Services, discuss the National Infectious Disease Test Positivity Trends Dashboard and the benefits it provides for patient care.

Bradley recognized the utility of a dashboard through several real-world situations in which ARUP detected elevated positivity rates before official public health alerts were issued. For example, during the 2024 pertussis surge, ARUP observed a spike in positivity rates months before clinicians recognized the outbreak. The delay in recognition lead to delays in testing and diagnosis. The new dashboard aims to close this information gap with timely, aggregated test results trends available publicly online.

The dashboard features:

• Maps and charts drawn from ARUP's test results and refreshed weekly
• Pathogen-specific pages accessible through an expandable navigation menu
• A "Key Information" box to call out specific data points

ARUP designed the dashboard with strict privacy and security safeguards. All data presented are fully deidentified, and interactivity is intentionally limited.

"Our team designed this dashboard with patient and client protection at the center. We are deeply committed to sharing knowledge and equally committed to safeguarding the trust our clients place in ARUP. This dashboard reflects both of those priorities," said Jenna Rychert, PhD, ARUP director of Laboratory and Clinical IT and medical director of Microbial Immunology and Customer Services.

Access the National Infectious Disease Test Positivity Trends Dashboard.

About ARUP Laboratories

Founded in 1984, ARUP Laboratories is a leading national reference laboratory and a nonprofit enterprise of the University of Utah Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine and its Department of Pathology. ARUP offers more than 3,000 tests and test combinations, ranging from routine screening tests to esoteric molecular and genetic assays. In addition, ARUP is a worldwide leader in innovative laboratory research and development, led by the efforts of the ARUP Institute for Research and Innovation in Diagnostic and Precision Medicine™. ARUP is ISO 15189 and CAP accredited. For more information, visit https://www.aruplab.com.

Media Contact

Bonnie Stray801-583-2787 ext. [email protected]