Elevating the standing and value of the clinical laboratory

Elevating the standing and value of the clinical laboratory

Diagnostic laboratories are a critical component of our global healthcare system with in vitro diagnostics influencing up to 70% of all clinical decisions.^1,2 Medical and lab professionals together play a key role in delivering optimal patient care, yet they face intensifying pressure to manage an increasingly high number of samples, while delivering quality results faster and increasing profitability. 

Fortunately, technological advancements have allowed Roche to evolve diagnostic solutions over the past 50 years. Roche has a strong track record of fusing science innovations in the lab - that is the serum work area (SWA) assays - to create an advanced, fully integrated and automated laboratory system that maximises productivity while improving the accuracy of diagnosis and breadth of diagnostics knowledge through integrated solutions.

At Roche, we can help optimise lab operations so lab professionals can do more with less. Run tests faster, on less equipment. Automate manual tasks to free up staff. And find new potential in existing data.

Addressing clinical needs, now and in the future

Driving lab innovation to help improve patient care is at the heart of Roche Diagnostics’ heritage, enabling labs to manage critical workflow processes and provide uninterrupted service. With the creation of the Serum Work Area (SWA), Roche integrated clinical chemistry and immunoassay testing for more precise, accurate diagnoses and helped shape the delivery of care from labs to patients.

The subsequent development of the Integrated Core Laboratory (ICL) expanded the lab’s potential to integrate systems and instruments and include new disciplines such as molecular diagnostics, using one software solution. The ICL not only offers an automated, integrated solution to simplify processes and reduce errors, it also uses digital solutions to improve predictability and traceability, as well as turnaround times, for the benefit of labs and patients.

“Roche has an important legacy in healthcare diagnostics and believes the clinical laboratory is the cornerstone to overcoming pressures in the delivery of global healthcare,” said Benjamin Lilienfeld, International Business Leader, SWA Systems, Roche Diagnostics. “By elevating the standard of the clinical laboratory through optimisations and enhanced automated procedures, we allow laboratory professionals to focus their time on tasks that matter so patients benefit from a faster and more personalised standard of care.”

Further improvements enhance lab technology, including automated maintenance and developing an intelligent, on-the-fly reagent loading concept, reducing manual operations and the risk of errors. Particularly in large laboratories, this helps labs:

• Save time from non-value-adding tasks
• Trace samples and monitor operations
• Increase lab efficiency to meet growing demands
• Deliver more than results, deliver impact

Integration beyond the lab

Today, Roche already has a comprehensive portfolio that continues to grow, which includes digital diagnostic solutions for the laboratory, point of care, data analytics, inventory management and more. 

Looking ahead, Roche will continue to help labs reach new heights of operational effectiveness through integrated solutions. This is even more important as data continues to accelerate changes in healthcare, offering new opportunities while adding complexity. We aim to connect healthcare networks across all settings of care, from the central lab to the point of care, ensuring the right information is available when and where it is needed.

Roche works with laboratories worldwide to enable fact-based decisions both in and out of the lab setting. Integrating automation and digital diagnostic capabilities can uncover meaningful insights that increase operational effectiveness and clinical decision-making and help us transform the way healthcare is delivered.

Youssef Khayali, Head of Integrated Diagnostics & Healthcare Solutions, Roche Diagnostics.

Improving the entire patient journey starts with the lab. The clinical laboratory enables healthcare professionals to provide evidence-based diagnostic and treatment decisions, cost-effectively, quickly and in a personalised way for all patients. 

Roche is committed to empowering and elevating the standing of the clinical laboratory. Delivering predictable performance will enable labs to provide the right diagnostic information to clinicians faster, ultimately maximising outcomes far beyond the lab.