Market Profile of the Laboratory Medicine Sector



This chapter provides an overview of the size and structure of the U.S. laboratory sector, including revenue, spending, test volume, and other key elements. Market information is delineated by laboratory setting and test type. Settings include hospitals, physicians’ offices, other clinical settings (e.g., skilled nursing facilities), and independently operated sites in the community. Examining market by test type highlights trends in the traditional broad disciplines of clinical pathology and anatomic pathology as well as the emerging interdisciplinary areas associated with molecular pathology. Depending on the type of test and the state of origin, consumers may perform self testing at home, work, or another site, or order tests directly through a clinical laboratory or the Internet. Publicly available information about the economic status and quality of the laboratory medicine sector is limited. For purposes of this chapter, data were compiled from multiple public and private sector sources. Among these sources were market research reports, such as Lab Industry Strategic Outlook: Market Trends and Analysis 2007a, the CMS OSCAR database, which contains information about laboratory certification, accreditation, and proficiency testing; other government reports; published literature; and personal communications with industry experts and government officials.

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