Question-and-Answer Session
Operator
(Operator Instructions). And our first question comes from the line of Amanda Murphy with William Blair. Please proceed.
Amanda Murphy - William Blair
Hi, good morning. A few questions on the volume side of the business.
Marc Grodman, M.D.
Sure.
Amanda Murphy - William Blair
So, in terms of volume growth for the quarter was that in line -- obviously deteriorated over last quarter and I know there's seasonality in there but was it in line as what you've expected or does it come in a little bit lower?
Marc Grodman, M.D.
No, it was really in line. The biggest drop in patient count usually does occur from the fourth to the first quarter. I mean that invariably happens unless something happens where contracts come up that were new. There were times when there were few years ago changes in managed care contracting when they started to go and hit in January, so the volume that normal drop from fourth to first because of holidays in November, December, decrease in volumes may not be appearing but this is very much in line. The clinical volume has been worst in this year which is lower as which was documented in your reports and handed back over the years, where physician volumes were lower.
In fact we've seen just in terms of stocks were pickup when we looked at last January, this January they've in fact in lower. So we kind of expected that, but what we were gratified with was the larger volume in new accounts that have occurred in the specialty areas and the specialty, and in our Women's Health Initiative.
So I think that it was not for those economic changes in fact, that the patient count would clearly have been -- the other part of it is. What I've mentioned on the last two calls is that, when we saw where we were a year ago with not necessarily benefiting from some of the higher volumes which is very hard look at our business. And really did we could to go deemphasize those areas where we were just generating specimens and not generating enough revenues. And we really sought to go deemphasize those over the last year. So this is not surprising as very much in character where it was and I think, given what the times are is exactly what we expected.
Amanda Murphy - William Blair
- To read the full transcript on Seeking Alpha, click here »
