America’s clinical laboratories serve as the foundation for public health preparedness and response and for everyday prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease for patients across the country. From routine blood tests to ground-breaking genetic tests that guide therapy selection, clinical laboratories play a vital role in answering some of life’s most important questions.
For millions of Americans and their health providers, laboratory tests are the start of any comprehensive care plan, empowering patients with the answers they need to guide health care decisions. Results from laboratory tests inform 70 percent of clinical decision-making, helping patients monitor, diagnose, and treat common, chronic, and rare conditions every day, yet account for less than three percent of total health care spending. Effective use of screening and diagnostic tests allows patients to receive the right care at the right time while often reducing overall health care costs.
Clinical laboratories sit at the forefront of public health, collaborating with providers throughout the health care delivery system and with public health agencies, including through robust public-private partnerships, to advance critically needed diagnostic testing for patients everywhere, at scale. From Zika to Ebola, and now COVID-19 and monkeypox, America’s clinical laboratories have stepped up to meet the moment, developing tests, scaling testing capacity to match national demands, and providing critical surge capacity during public health crises. Laboratories’ investments in innovation have led to extraordinary advancements that are changing health care as we know it.
Protecting access to laboratory tests is essential for a strong and nimble diagnostic infrastructure and investments in innovative solutions for the patients we serve. Click here to learn more about our efforts to stop lab cuts.
