How Roche is leading the way in integrated diagnostics
For decades, Roche has pioneered integrated laboratory solutions, focusing on making diagnostic workflows more efficient, standardized, and scalable. Some of Roche’s most significant contributions to integrated diagnostics include:
- The integration of clinical chemistry and immunochemistry: Roche was among the first to develop solutions that allow seamless testing of different analytes using the same sample, reducing hands-on time and improving efficiency.
- Lab Automation: Roche’s lab automation solutions enable laboratories to run high-throughput testing with reduced human intervention, resulting in faster turnaround times and greater standardization.
- Molecular diagnostics integration: Roche has developed platforms that connect molecular testing with broader laboratory workflows, making it easier for labs to incorporate genetic and infectious disease testing into their routine operations.
- Mass spectrometry integration: Traditionally, mass spectrometry was considered a separate, highly specialized technology. However, Roche’s new cobas®mass spec solution will be integrated into the core laboratory workflow, enhancing its accessibility and efficiency.3
- Integration of centralized laboratories with satellite settings: With the ongoing integration of hospital systems, Roche supports customers to integrate test data from decentralized settings into their LIS seamlessly and to optimize test distribution between central labs and satellites.
- Integration of data sources across lab and hospital systems: Roche supports customers to integrate data from Roche systems and 3rd party devices, making data flexible and reducing data fragmentation.
Dr. Lilienfeld explains:
“By integrating mass spectrometry directly into routine laboratory testing, we eliminate many of the traditional barriers to its use. Instead of being an isolated specialty, mass spectrometry becomes a seamless part of the diagnostic process.”
The importance of integrated digital diagnostics in healthcare
In addition to physical integration, digital connectivity is becoming a key priority for modern integrated diagnostic systems and wider laboratories.
“The future of integration is digital,” says Dr. Lilienfeld. “By ensuring that diagnostic data flows seamlessly between laboratories, hospitals, and clinicians, we can dramatically improve efficiency, reduce errors, and enhance patient care.”
Roche offers customers navify digital solutions that allow them to integrate data sources and to drive operational efficiencies for their laboratory networks:4
- Integrate data from diagnostic systems regardless of their manufacturer to laboratory information systems (LIS)
- Securely integrate decentralized test data from satellite settings to into the central laboratory (LIS) and the EHR
“The ability to integrate digital tools into diagnostic workflows will be just as important as physical automation,” Dr. Lilienfeld notes. “AI and machine learning will play a critical role in how we interpret and manage diagnostic data, but all of it depends on having a robust, interconnected system.”
However, integrating digital tools into the diagnostic workflow brings new challenges, such as cyberattacks, complex privacy regulations, and the ethical implications of managing sensitive health data. At Roche, we are committed to safeguarding data through comprehensive privacy, security, and compliant practices to ensure the secure and ethical handling of health data with the Roche Digital Trust Center. Built on a foundation of digital trust, this approach encompasses data privacy, transparency, and cybersecurity to empower healthcare providers with secure, scalable, reliable, transparent, and user-centric digital healthcare solutions.
Overcoming common barriers to integration
“Innovation is crucial, but integration is what makes innovation truly valuable,” Dr. Lilienfeld says. “At Roche, we are committed to helping laboratories not just adopt new technologies, but integrate them in a way that delivers real, measurable benefits.”
While the benefits of integration are clear, many laboratories struggle with implementation. Some of the most common challenges include:5,6
- Legacy systems that are not designed for interoperability: Many labs still rely on older instruments that were never intended to work within an integrated system.
- Resistance to change: Laboratory staff are often hesitant to adopt new workflows, fearing disruptions to existing processes.
- Budget constraints: Implementing an integrated system requires upfront investment, even though it results in long-term cost savings.
- Regulatory considerations: Ensuring that integrated systems comply with international standards and regulatory requirements can be complex.
Dr. Lilienfeld acknowledges these challenges but emphasizes that strategic planning and collaboration with the right partners can make integration smoother and more effective.
“We work closely with laboratories to understand their needs and create solutions that are not just technologically advanced but also practical for real-world implementation,” he says.
The impact of integration on patient care
Ultimately, the true value of integration is in its impact on patients. A fully integrated diagnostic system can:7-9
- Reduce turnaround times: Faster results can support quicker diagnosis and treatment decisions.
- Improve test accuracy: Standardized workflows minimize variability and errors.
- Enhance accessibility: Digital integration aims to ensure patient data is available to the right providers at the right time.
- Streamline sample management: Integrated automation reduces the need for manual handling, decreasing contamination risks.
“At Roche, everything we do is focused on improving patient outcomes,” Dr. Lilienfeld states. “Integration allows us to deliver faster, more reliable, and more consistent diagnostics, ultimately improving healthcare at a global scale.”
Join Roche at EuroMedLab 2025
The role of integration in modern diagnostics will be a key focus at EuroMedLab 2025, where Roche will showcase its latest advancements in integrated laboratory solutions.
Dr. Lilienfeld will be among the expert speakers and will be sharing his insights into the newly launched cobas® Mass Spec solution’s revolutionary features and the key benefits to the real world.
Join us at EuroMedLab 2025 to explore the future of integrated diagnostics and learn how Roche is leading the way in seamless, efficient, and patient-centered laboratory solutions.
