Consumerism and How Clinical Labs can Take Advantage of a Growing Trend

LigoLab CEO Suren Avunjian recently wrote a thought-leadership piece for MedCity Influencers that focused on the continued growth of consumerism in healthcare and how clinical laboratories can position themselves for future profitability by expanding into new areas of the care continuum.

Click the link below to access what he wrote.

How Technology is Enabling Clinical Labs to Become Profit Centers

In the article, Avunjian makes the case that advances in technology, and advances in modern laboratory information systems in particular, mean now is the time for clinical labs to start thinking outside of the box and expanding into other areas like direct-to-consumer lab testing. 

According to Avunjian, the adoption of self-service healthcare remains robust and the global market for direct-to-consumer lab services is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years. Because of this, clinical labs that plan for and cater to this market will be correctly positioned for what’s expected to be a very lucrative opportunity.

So how can clinical labs ensure that they are sufficiently prepared to service this new flourishing market? 

The answer to that question is simple. By partnering with forward-thinking software companies that offer scalable software solutions like LigoLab Operating Platform, an all-in-one and fully integrated platform that includes powerful modules for LIS, lab revenue cycle management (RCM), and direct-to-consumer (DTC). 

For those unaware, TestDirectly is LigoLab’s direct-to-consumer solution that draws clinical labs closer to the patients they serve. This online portal already supports what’s needed for clinical labs to expand into services that cover digital patient registration, test kit orders, report delivery, telemedicine, physician approval, and ePrescribing. 

To learn more, here’s a video tutorial that highlights a home test kit workflow. 

‍

In the not-too-distant future, Avunjian believes clinical labs will become digitally-enabled care hubs with modern LIS systems that support telemedicine and patient care concierge services. In the article, he goes into more detail by sharing an example of what this new workflow will feel like from the patient’s perspective. 

Avunjian closes this well-written piece by suggesting that DTC testing can protect labs against turbulent times and that early adopters are already benefitting from the new forms of laboratory outreach now available. He then suggests that further advancements are expected as patient monitoring and risk stratification make the bond between the provider and the patient even tighter. 

‍