Exploring the Role and Importance of Medical Laboratories in Healthcare

Abstract

Clinical laboratory services are an essential part of health systems and are critical for patient care. Informed decisions at every level of the health system, from the primary care provider to the specialist, to researchers and health care policymakers, derive from the answers provided by the laboratory. Laboratory services have undergone radical transitions over the past three decades. This has produced an impressive arsenal of new and powerful diagnostic tests that are increasingly at the core of diagnostic and therapeutic decisions at all levels of the health system. In addition, the need to manage epidemics, improve surveillance, and monitor the outcomes of therapeutic and preventive interventions has further accentuated the importance of the laboratory, especially in support of primary health care.