AACC 2023 Debrief: 3 Key Growth Opportunities for Laboratories
One of the most exciting aspects of attending industry conferences is the buzz around hearing new ideas, seeing technical innovation and gathering attendee perspectives. And this year’s American Association of Clinical Chemistry’s (now the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine) Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo definitely didn’t disappoint.
Members of the Claire team – Mike Gove. David Carr and Ron McCullough – traveled to Anaheim, CA to hear the latest business and technology trends in today’s modern labs. Alongside lab equipment product introductions and scientific research announcements, the Claire team heard lab executives talking about less traditional topics like direct to consumer programs, leveraging Al across the enterprise and the need for better digital engagement with patients/consumers.
Observation #1: Diagnostic Data Demand Continues to Grow
It should come as no surprise that the massive thirst for health data for both professional (providers and payors) use and personal insight continues to grow. At-home collection and testing offerings, driven by the increased level of consumer familiarity from COVID self-testing, has caused an explosion of new test options, as labs look to establish incremental engagement with patients and deliver value.
• Impact: New competition and digital-first Direct to Consumer (D2C) testing and kitting programs are being evaluated and launched by traditional labs looking to accelerate growth.
Observation #2: New Lab Models Are Gaining Traction
New competitors are entering the laboratory market, challenging traditional players with nimble and innovation-driven strategies. They’re flipping the script by focusing on great consumer experiences powered by digital and mobile-first approaches as their key differentiators.
• Impact: Disruption to the status-quo, as new companies challenge established leaders for market share driven by customer experience, convenience and choice.
Observation #3: Customer Experience Expectations are High
Great consumer experiences from DoorDash to Uber to Amazon have significantly raised the expectations for the diagnostic testing process. People want an easy, digital-first experience focused on convenience, transparency, and information they can use. “Consumer experiences driven by technology are the new frontier for labs, as they look to increase patient engagement and satisfaction. But many labs lack the in-house expertise to design and create these capabilities, driving them to look for partners” observed Claire’s Ron McCullough, a former General Manager for a large national laboratory and seasoned diagnostics industry executive.
• Impact: Laboratories need to invest in front-end customer operations as much as they do on back-end lab operations to deliver value, drive repeat engagements and effectively compete.
It’s an exciting time to be in the diagnostics space, as the industry embraces digital transformation to deliver better customer experiences, improve productivity and efficiency for lab operations and accelerate growth opportunities. Claire is a powerful partner for labs seeking to elevate and streamline patient experiences, with our innovative Al- powered engagement platform and a customizable Diagnostics as a Service (DxaaS) solution. We help remove the stressors and inconveniences that stand between patients and test order fulfillment, transforming today’s diagnostics routines.
Contact us to learn more.
