Do YOUR Bit! 
Ticks infected with Lyme disease are common in the Hamptons. If you are feeling sick, you may have had a recent tick bite and you could have early Lyme disease, even if you don’t remember being bitten or seeing a tick. If you are feeling sick and have an unusual rash, you need to be treated promptly to prevent potentially serious health problems. At the same time, you may be eligible to participate in an important research project with the Lyme Disease Biobank (LDB) right here at East Hampton Family Medicine. Participating in the study will assist researchers who are developing diagnostics to help future Lyme disease patients.
What do you have to do to participate? Simply give small samples of blood and urine, and answer questions about your symptoms and health history.
AND – If you decide to participate, you will receive a $50 Amazon gift card as compensation.
What is the Lyme Disease Biobank?
The Lyme Disease Biobank (LDB) was created to collect blood and urine samples from people who have early Lyme disease. LDB was founded in 2014, and we launched our first collection site with a local physician, Dr. George Dempsey, at his practice here in East Hampton, New York. We now have multiple collection sites around the country. These samples are used by researchers developing better diagnostics for Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections. LDB is a project of Bay Area Lyme Foundation, a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to make Lyme disease easy to diagnose and simple to cure. Funding for LDB is provided by the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation through Bay Area Lyme.
Who is eligible?
We are looking for people 18 and older who are feeling sick, or have a rash, and who may have been bitten by a tick recently. Symptoms of early Lyme disease may include the following:
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Joint pain
- Flu-like symptoms
- An expanding rash at the bite-site (not everyone gets a Lyme rash)
To be eligible to participate, you must be over 18 years of age, have symptoms of early Lyme disease (with or without a rash), be willing to provide blood and urine samples, and answer questions about your symptoms and health history. Remember—not everyone who gets bitten SEES the tick or the rash, so it is important to be aware of Lyme disease symptoms.
How do I participate?
If you come to East Hampton Family Medicine with symptoms of early Lyme disease, you can decide to volunteer for the Lyme Disease Biobank (LDB) study. If you decide to participate, you will:
- Complete the informed consent process with a member of Dr. Dempsey’s staff.
- Answer questions about your symptoms and health history.
- Provide blood and urine samples.
Your participation in the LDB is voluntary. Participants will receive a $50 Amazon gift card as a thank-you.
Why is this study happening?
Recent estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest that as many as 476,000 people get Lyme disease each year in the United States. Early Lyme disease can be difficult to diagnose as many symptoms are non-specific and not everyone gets a Lyme rash. Untreated, Lyme disease can become a debilitating disease and can affect the heart, muscles, joints, brain, and nervous system.
The Lyme Disease Biobank (LDB) was created to provide samples to researchers creating better diagnostic tests for Lyme disease. Current diagnostic tests may be ineffective in early Lyme disease (before the body can mount a detectable immune response). By participating in this study, you are helping medical researchers who are working to develop better diagnostics for Lyme disease.
About Dr. George Dempsey and East Hampton Family Medicine
Dr. Dempsey has been treating Lyme patients for over 20 years right here in East Hampton. He has made hundreds of clinical diagnoses of Lyme disease and has helped people avert potentially serious health conditions. He also has expertise in identifying which ticks carry Lyme disease and telling you if there is a risk of transmission by your tick bite.
You will receive the support, advice, and information you need. You will also get prevention tips to avoid exposure to ticks in the future. The sooner you are seen after the bite, or you develop symptoms of Lyme, the better.
And by reacting QUICKLY after a tick-bite, getting seen by East Hampton Family Medicine, and considering volunteering for LDB, YOU are doing YOUR bit in the fight against Lyme disease!
Ready to do YOUR bit?
Here is how you reach us:
East Hampton Family Medicine
(631) 324-9200
Hours of operation:
Monday through Friday: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
