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Innovation, Adaptability, and Partnerships: How to Prepare for Pathology’s Future State
December 4, 2025
Pathology practices and clinical laboratory medicine are entering a period of rapid transformation. The foundational pressures labs face today are widely known - record testing volumes, tightening reimbursement, payer complexity, operational bottlenecks, skyrocketing supply and labor costs, and a persistent shortage of qualified personnel - and are not going away. On the contrary, they are accelerating.
Forward-thinking laboratory leaders understand this and know that the decisions they make today will determine their ability to compete, grow, and remain financially stable in the years ahead. Future success will depend on three pillars: innovation, adaptability, and strategic partnerships.
As LigoLab CEO Suren Avunjian puts it:
“It is essential that modern-day medical labs modernize by adopting innovative technologies and best processes to improve productivity, relationships with their customers, streamline operations, and maximize value.”
Join us as this blog explores what the “future state” of pathology will look like, why innovation and adaptability are keys, and what concrete steps labs can take to prepare for the inevitable.
On-Demand Webinar: Emerging Technologies of the Future Lab
What Will the Next 5 to 10 Years Look Like?
The forces reshaping pathology are widespread and far-reaching. Below are several major shifts that will define the laboratory of the future.
1. Automation Everywhere - From LIS System Accessioning to Laboratory Billing
Tomorrow’s laboratories will rely heavily on advanced automation to counter staffing shortages and rising case complexity.
Examples include:
- Automated laboratory information system (LIS) software for specimen accessioning and barcoding
- AI-powered screening tools for processing workflows
- Robotic process automation (RPA) for repetitive tasks
- Fully automated laboratory billing software that eliminates manual edits, reduces denials, and accelerates payments
Labs that cling to manual processes will struggle with turnaround times, costs, and quality.
Discover More: Is Your Laboratory Information System Able to Support the Latest LIS System Technology?
2. AI-Driven Diagnostics and Lab Workflow Optimization
Artificial intelligence is evolving from experimental to essential.
Expect wide adoption of:
- Digital pathology platforms that support AI-assisted diagnosis
- Predictive analytics to forecast specimen volumes and staffing needs
- Automated quality control and error-prevention workflows
- Natural language processing (NLP) to streamline reporting and coding
AI will not replace pathologists, but it will replace labs that fail to adopt it.
Case Study: OnePath - Transforming Pathology Lab Management Through Digital Innovation
3. Data Interoperability and Unified Informatics Ecosystems
Medical labs will no longer accept fragmented laboratory software systems that fail to communicate with one another.
The future requires:
- Unified medical LIS + lab revenue cycle management (lab RCM) platforms for combined operational and financial visibility
- Real-time integrations with EHRs, instruments, and external partners
- Cloud-based infrastructure supporting enhanced security, scalability, and remote access
- Analytics dashboards that drive business decisions, not just reporting
The laboratories that succeed will be those that treat data as a strategic asset rather than a byproduct of testing.
Discover More: Best Pathology Lab Reporting Software - Buyers Guide and Checklist
4. Value-Based Care, Cost Pressure, and Demanding Clients
Health systems, physicians, and consumers will demand:
- Faster turnaround times
- More accurate and standardized reporting
- Transparent lab billing experiences
- Proof of value and measurable impact on patient outcomes
Labs must demonstrate not just what they do, but how well they do it, to enhance customer and patient relationships.
Discover More: Keys to Providing Premier Pathology Client Services - How Advanced Laboratory Information Systems Set the Standard
5. Persistent Staffing Shortages and the Rise of “Lean Operating Labs”
With retirements outpacing new entrants, the future workforce will remain constrained.
Successful lab enterprises will:
- Automate routine tasks
- Retain top performers through enhanced LIS system and lab RCM tools, plus manageable workloads
- Cross-train teams
- Invest in intuitive pathology lab software that reduces cognitive burden
The lean lab of the future is fast, highly automated, and digitally enabled.
Discover More: Is the Fear of Failing a Problem at Your Laboratory?
Why Innovation Must Become a Core Competency
"Innovation" has become an overused buzzword among laboratory information system vendors. However, for clinical laboratories and pathology practices, true LIS software innovation is mission-critical.
Labs must navigate:
- Record-setting volumes
- Ongoing reimbursement cuts
- Complex payer requirements
- Rising competition (both local and national)
- Increasing supply chain costs
- A shrinking labor pool
Only modern LIS systems, processes, and partnerships will empower labs to survive these challenges.
Discover More: The New Era of Laboratory Informatics - From Manual Tasks to Sustained Success
LigoLab as a Case Study in Real Innovation
Although many lab vendors use the word “innovation” loosely, that’s not the case with LigoLab, an LIS company built on a two-decade foundation of authentic innovation.
Discover More: How to Turn Your Mid-Sized Medical Laboratory into a Thriving Large-Scale Operation
A Customer-Funded Model Designed for Partnership, Not Profit Extraction
When LigoLab was founded in 2006, its three co-founders had already spent years working inside a rapidly scaling laboratory operation. They experienced firsthand the limitations of rigid LIS systems and the gaps in vendor support.
Instead of investor funding, LigoLab took the unusual step of constructing the company with customer funding, through pre-orders, subscriptions, and long-term relationships.
This model ensured two things:
The customer would always come before shareholder interests, and innovation would be guided by real-world laboratory challenges rather than theoretical product roadmaps.
Now two decades later, LigoLab remains independent, agile, and fully committed to innovation without external pressure to cut corners or restrict functionality.
Discover More: Navigating the Future of Pathology - The LigoLab Advantage
Investing Revenue Into R&D
Avunjian describes LigoLab’s commitment clearly:
“We continue to invest more than 50 percent of company revenue into research and development because that’s what it takes to remain a true innovator and partner.”
This extraordinary level of investment enables LigoLab to:
- Release new features and laboratory information system functions daily
- Rapidly respond and adapt to industry changes
- Continuously enhance the platform’s automation, interoperability, and usability
- Equip labs with evolving tools to stay competitive
This innovation engine helps labs support and retain customers while expanding revenue streams.
White Paper: How Aligning with Your LIS System Provider Can Transform Your Lab
Free LIS Software Updates and Unlimited Seats - A Rare Advantage
Most LIS software vendors charge for upgrades, “premium modules,” interfaces, and additional users.
LigoLab does not.
Customers receive:
- Free LIS software upgrades
- Unlimited seats and modules
- Compliance-related changes at no additional cost
This approach allows labs to scale operations without unexpected expenses.
As Support Manager Emanuel Basag-Taroata explains, customers can instantly view new features and decide which quarterly updates to adopt, on their own schedule, without interruption.
Discover More: Two Major Reasons Why You Should Consider LigoLab for Your LIS System Upgrade
Three LIS Software Environments for Safe, Continuous Innovation
To ensure safe, seamless LIS system updates, LigoLab provides:
- Testing Environments – where all new features are validated
- Training Environments – where labs can test updates internally
- Production Environments – where updates are deployed only after customer approval
This structure gives labs complete control and confidence as they benefit from ongoing LIS software evolution.
Discover More: A Detailed Look at LigoLab’s Implementation and Support Protocols
Partnership in Action: Real Feedback from the Field
Kristen Conley, CIO at Eastern Connecticut Pathology Consultants, summarizes LigoLab’s impact:
“The LigoLab team clearly demonstrates through their support and actions that they are interested in keeping up with the latest technology and developments in healthcare.”
This alignment of innovation, responsiveness, and partnership is what positions LigoLab as a model for the future state of pathology.
Industry Insights: ECPC’s Strategic Leap into Digital Pathology - A Connected Vision for the Future
How Labs Can Prepare for the Future: Practical Strategies
Below are actionable steps any clinical laboratory or pathology practice can take to prepare for what lies ahead.
1. Replace Legacy LIS Systems Before They Become a Liability
Outdated LIS systems are the biggest barriers to modernization.
They limit:
- Automation
- Interoperability
- Workflow optimization
- Data visibility
- RCM cycle performance
Labs must transition to modern, unified platforms before the gap becomes insurmountable.
White Paper: Why a Comprehensive Digital Platform Outperforms a Traditional Lab Information System
2. Automate Routinely - Everywhere You Can
Automation isn’t a luxury; it’s survival.
Labs should focus on:
- Automated rules for task routing and processing
- Automated lab billing edits, denials, and follow-ups
- Seamless digital pathology workflows
- Simplified instrument and EHR integrations
- Automated order entry and barcode-driven specimen tracking
Every manual step eliminated increases accuracy, revenue, and staff capacity.
Discover More: Here’s How LigoLab’s Automation Engine Supercharges Lab Performance
3. Adopt a Unified Medical LIS + Lab RCM Ecosystem
The future requires complete data alignment between:
- Operational workflows
- Clinical results
- Lab billing data
- Financial performance
Unified LIS systems reduce revenue leakage, eliminate data silos, and provide real-time visibility needed for growth.
4. Strengthen Your Vendor Partnerships
Your LIS software vendor should be:
- Responsive
- Customer-centric
- Transparent
- Innovative
- Proven
A true partner helps labs adapt to market shifts, not just renew contracts.
On-Demand Webinar: From Manual to Magical - Automation Strategies for Multi-Facility AP & Clinical Labs
5. Build a Culture of Adaptability
Future-ready labs:
- Train continuously
- Embrace change rather than resist it
- Experiment with new workflows
- Empower staff through better tools
- Reevaluate processes regularly
Adaptability gives the lab its competitive advantage.
Industry Insights: How Modern LIS Systems Empower Labs Through Configurable Reporting, Seamless Integration, and True Partnership
The Future Belongs to Laboratories That Innovate Boldly
The next era of pathology will reward laboratories that embrace technology, challenge outdated practices, and align themselves with partners who share their commitment to progress.
LigoLab exemplifies what it means to innovate with purpose, rooted in customer needs, supported by aggressive R&D investment, and validated by real laboratory success stories.
As Avunjian notes:
“True innovation goes beyond adopting the latest tools; it’s about reimagining laboratory operations to meet current demands and anticipate future needs.”
Labs that follow this philosophy will not only survive the coming decade; they will define it.
