The clinical diagnostics market, like many other businesses, is entering the Industry 4.0 revolution. The advent of digitalization, automation, and robotization has helped develop highly flexible smart laboratories. These labs can manage both high-volume/routine analyses and highly customized analyses at reasonable prices. Clinical laboratories are required to have exceptional flexibility to adapt quickly to persistent shifts and unpredictable new environments.
Mentioned below are the 5 key trends that are helping the clinical diagnostics industry survive in a dynamic environment:
- Integration of Automation Technologies in Genomics
Over the years, the accuracy of genome sequencing has radically improved. Furthermore, sequencing and library preparation platforms are now more affordable than ever before, both of which are making the technology more extensively accessible. Advancements in data analytics have also enhanced the study of genomics by revealing unknown correlations, hidden patterns, and other insights, specifically when investigating large-scale data sets.
At the core of this advancement are automation technologies that facilitate much higher flexibility, throughputs, and low-cost solutions. Furthermore, reduced costs of DNA sequencing and genotyping have made DNA testing widely available to end-users. This has resulted in a robust growth rate in the number of consumers embracing genetic testing. An enormous number of consumers consent to making their samples available for research. Conclusively, the overall volume of generated biological data is exponentially growing.
- Rise of Patient-centric Approaches
The changing consumer expectations have necessitated the adoption of patient-centric approaches in healthcare settings. The recent years have seen a developing interest in personalized training and diet programs as well as customized cosmetic products and procedures. While medicine has revolved around standardized procedures based on a statistically average non-existent person, automation of clinical diagnostics has implied that medical treatment can be tailor-made as per an individual’s genetic considerations.
- Emerging At-home Diagnostics Point-of-care Testing Solutions
Advancements in clinical diagnostics technology have enabled rapid testing in patients’ homes. This helps facilitate enhanced disease monitoring, diagnosis, and management. A key advantage of digitalization in at-home and point-of-care diagnostics is the convenience of the testing procedure and the storage and analysis of results in a protected digital environment that healthcare providers can access.
- AI-driven Medical Imaging
One of the primary benefits of AI in medical imaging is its ability to improve the efficiency and accuracy of disease diagnosis. Artificial intelligence solutions enable healthcare professionals to determine diseases with the help of optimized medical images. Healthcare professionals can precisely identify specific structures, detect abnormalities, and predict disease outcomes for enhanced clinical diagnostics.
- Real-time diagnostics
Wearable biosensors, including watches, glasses, contact lenses, clothing, bandages, rings, and ingestible and implantable devices, collect physical health information in the form of blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, skin temperature, and body motion. Compared to conventional diagnostic tests that only capture a particular parameter, real-time diagnostics deliver more robust and wide-ranging data analysis for clinical decision-making. They facilitate continuous monitoring, which provides instant feedback on irregularities and can be used to track a patient’s overall health and well-being.
What to Expect?
These trends bring new thrilling possibilities for the clinical diagnostics industry; however, they also present new challenges. These challenges include concerns regarding safety issues, patient integrity and risks associated with an ever-changing environment. With the fourth industrial revolution, relentless transformation is becoming the new normal. To tap into new business opportunities, clinical laboratories need to modify their operations and processes on a continual basis. There is no gold standard solution to address these challenges. Instead, those who are able to adapt to a dynamic environment will be the winners of the game.
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