Radical Changes Seen in Future Laboratory Testing

A new process that enables individuals to order and view laboratory tests privately on the Internet, and the rapid growth of new tests and methods based on genomic research, are part of the sea change that will dramatically alter the practice of laboratory testing, according to Bruce A. Friedman, professor of pathology, University of Michigan Medical School (Ann Arbor, USA). Dr. Friedman made his observations at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry in Chicago, IL (USA).

Direct Access Testing (DAT) allows patients on their own, without physician intervention, to order, pay for, and obtain test results anonymously on the Internet. The process has already been put into practice by a large U.S. laboratory, which has opened storefront clinics in four states permitting people to order their own tests without the need for a doctor's order. Dr. Friedman said many people will use DAT because it offers confidentiality to those who fear their health information could be made available to employers or others. Within five years, he predicted, 10% or more of all lab testing will be done by DAT.

At the same time, Dr. Friedman expects the number of conventional laboratory tests to skyrocket. He also foresees new testing methods that will allow for the development of more numerous and more complex lab tests. Perhaps as many as 200 tests could become the norm when a patient is admitted to a hospital. Outpatient testing will become more complex and challenging in terms of result interpretation, requiring computers to arrive at the proper diagnosis and therapy.

Dr. Friedman also expects that some health-care providers may find it economically beneficial to give patients "lab test accounts.” These would allow patients with diseases such as chronic anemia or liver disease to order their own tests whenever they want, and thereby monitor their disease. Another new practice, pioneered at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (PA, USA), is the development of a system that allows pathologists to post surgical biopsy images online for clinicians to review and share their visual findings with patients via the website.




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American Association for Clinical Chemistry