Innovative technological advancements in laboratory medicine: Predicting the lab of the future

Abstract

Laboratory medicine is integral to public health and healthcare provision, and it relies on numerous analytical techniques to provide timely, objective data to healthcare professionals to guide disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring. Driven and defined by a culture of innovation, recent technological advances have revolutionized modern laboratory medicine and added significant value and visibility to its role in healthcare and clinical decision-making. Noteworthy innovations in laboratory automation, genomics, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, microfluidics, and electronic tools have changed the face of omics research. The growing application of these technologies, as well as their integration with microtechnology and point-of-care testing, has contributed to improved patient outcomes and narrowing of the clinical-laboratory interface to facilitate a patient-centered approach to healthcare. However, to adequately capitalize on these advancements, new tools such as artificial intelligence and data mining are needed to harness the exciting potential of medical big data derived from these novel techniques. The current review provides an overview of the recent technological advancements in laboratory medicine, with a critical discussion on their clinical utility and future perspectives. The promise and potential for precision and personalized medicine is also discussed and appraised, with specific attention paid to the contingency of its success on advanced information technology capabilities.

Keywords

• Laboratory medicine
• innovation
• precision medicine
• biotechnology