Five Trends in Diagnostics
June 19, 2013
In his keynote address at the MedTechWorld, MD&M East conference, James Donnelly, chief scientific officer, Siemens Healthcare, identified five key trends in diagnostic technologies.
Bifurcation of testing: Traditional labs are getting bigger and bigger. At the same time, there is rapid growth in point-of-care technologies. Hospitals and physicians are investing in doing more work themselves, faster, where the patient can immediately benefit. The marketplace is simultaneously sizing up and down.
Robotics: Advances in technology coupled with a scarcity of qualified laboratory staff means more labs are using robotic technologies to handle the workload. The automation trend is further catalyzed by a need for greater efficiencies in the healthcare system. Speed and repeatability are the game.
Speed: Consistent with the growth on point-of-care testing, Donnelly spoke about the increasing need for faster results. "Getting A1C3 numbers right at the appointment, where the physician and patient can discuss it is a great value," he said. Improving outcomes means speeding up testing.
Biomarkers and targeted therapies: Research will increasingly focus on biomarkers for diagnostics, Donnelly stressed. If a patient has a potential for MRSA, or even clotting, it's better for a hospital looking for outcomes-based pay and lowered readmits to know that up front, he explained.
Connectivity: Whether it's a seamless data transfer from a diagnostic device to an electronic health record, or, more disruptive, clinically centered decision support systems that pull unexpected treatment insights from information on the cloud, connectivity rules.
Pamela L. Moore is senior vice president, content and strategy at UBM Connect.
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