In three previous blog notes, I have been musing about the future of the LIS (see: Diagnostic and Predictive Analytics and Their Possible Link to the Future of the LIS; Predicting the Future Functions of the LIS-Analytic (LIS-A); Continuing Discussion about the LIS of the Future; Analytics as a Key Feature?). I have raised two major points thus far: (1) a major function of the LIS of the future will be to manage diagnostic and predictive analytics; and (2) it's not clear at this time which type of vendor (LIS, EHR, other) will dominate this new LIS landscape. I have also been referring to the LIS of the future as the LIS-A because of the emphasis on analytics.
In this note, I want to emphasize that consumer preferences will be a factor in lab analytics testing. For about two decades, consumers have been allowed to order their own lab tests using the direct access testing (DAT) option. Although DAT has never accounted for a substantial percentage of total lab testing, it has set a precedent regarding consumer choice in the lab world. Ironically, the ability for consumers to order their lab tests for themselves in Arizona was the result of lobbying by Elizabeth Holmes, the now discredited CEO and founder or Theranos (see: New Arizona Law Expands Number of Lab Tests Consumers Can Order on their Own, Fuels Debate). It's only a matter of time before the majority of states allow DAT because of the growing power of consumerism. Currently, approximately 24 states allow total or limited consumer lab test ordering (see: Direct-Access Testing: A State-by-State Analysis).
A telling point was made in my recent note about consumers ordering a predictive analytics test (see: Continuing Discussion about the LIS of the Future) and I quote it below:
We already know of one instance where researchers from Massachusetts General are developing a web site that will calculate a disease risk score after a consumer has uploaded his or her DNA analysis results (see: Upload Your DNA to a Web Site to Generate Risk Scores for Five Diseases). Such risk scores certainly fall into the family of diagnostic/predictive analytics.
The important point here is that consumers will continue to be allowed to order their own DNA tests from web sites like 23andMe and AncestryDNA. They then will be able to upload their DNA test result to web sites like to one mentioned above and order, for example, the calculation of a risk score for five diseases. Look for other academic centers to begin to provide such risk scores based on consumer orders. Such options will undoubtedly increase.
The direction that I am headed here is that the lab testing market including analytics will be divided into two sectors: consumer-oriented and physician-oriented. The reason that I think that this is important is that I believe that the Big Tech giants like Apple, Google, and Microsoft (see: What Are the Consequences of Big Tech Entering the Healthcare Market?) who may jump into the lab testing market will surely head for the consumer side. Contrariwise, the comfort zone for companies like EHR and LIS vendors, and even the in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) companies, will be the healthcare/professional side.
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