By Tracey Sainsbury

Globally, cases of non-communicable diseases such as cancers, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are on the rise, causing more than three in five deaths. Screening for chronic illnesses requires vast resources; in fact, laboratory testing is the highest-volume medical activity in the US, with an estimated 13 billion tests each year.

Improving diagnostic testing to identify diseases earlier and more efficiently is crucial to saving lives, cutting backlogs, and reducing some of the financial burden on healthcare services. This article will examine strains on the diagnostic sector as well as innovations in products and services that can improve the coping capacity of diagnostic services.
Shortage of healthcare workers
In the US, the number of active pathologists fell by 17.5% between 2007 and 2017. Since then the situation appears to have worsened, with 56% of pathology departments looking to hire additional staff, up from 45% in 2017. The shortage of pathologists is leading to longer wait times for results – in some cases, this may be over sixty days. Meanwhile, thirty-five percent of pathologists are said to be suffering from ‘burnout’ due to the increased workload.

The phlebotomy sector is experiencing similar issues. Due to advancements in technology, more conditions can be diagnosed through blood tests; combined with an ageing population, this is leading to surging demand for phlebotomy services. However, the level of training required for phlebotomists is making it difficult for departments to fill vacancies as they attempt to cope with rises in demand. Over the decade, it is expected there will be around 21,500 openings for phlebotomists each year on average.

Demand for diagnostic products
Alongside the increasing need for testing, there is an ever-growing demand for diagnostic products. For instance, it is estimated that the North American molecular diagnostic market will grow by 6.6 percent between 2019-2024. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated growth, as demand for molecular testing increased twenty-fold between March and October 2020.

However, this demand has created a severe shortage of laboratory supplies including vital collection tubes, syringes and collection needles, meaning staff have been instructed to only carry out urgent blood work, to save supplies. In January 2022, the FDA expanded its medical device shortage list to include all blood specimen collection tubes due to supply and demand challenges caused by the pandemic.

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