Laboratory Medicine and Healthcare Excellence – Till Death do us Part

The union between laboratory medicine and healthcare excellence is strong, interconnected and has stood the test of time. This partnership is essential in the quest for value-based health care, expanding the strategic role of the clinical laboratory from traditional, transactional models to strategic ones that expedite or activate new cascades of care. This paper reviews outcomes and key trends following global recognition of integrated clinical care teams for exemplary outcomes of measurably better health care. In all cases, laboratory medicine was either a key contributor or leader in predictive risk management, preventative health, and integration of clinical care through active synthesis of relevant data: data that are too often under-used, under-recognized, or even missing in traditional models of care. Outcomes connect multi-disciplinary teams with favorable key performance indicators across patients, payors, clinicians and health systems, as well as top disease burdens and unmet gaps of care. Results affirm the possibilities ahead with proactive engagement across healthcare professionals including the vital and active role of laboratory medicine. With the future upon us, it is incumbent upon all healthcare professionals to work together, learn from others, champion health outcomes and join in a pledge for healthcare excellence.