In almost every country of the world, the proportion of the population aged over 60 is growing faster than any other age group.1 Although this can be seen as a success story, an older population is also giving rise to new challenges. Rates of chronic illnesses and newly emergent diseases related to ageing – such as dementia – are on the rise.2
These trends are having a major impact on healthcare services around the globe, many of which are already facing enormous pressure from increasing costs, budgetary restrictions and staff workloads. Patient expectations are also on the rise – not only for faster testing and diagnosis at lower costs, but also for the personalised prevention and treatment solutions they need to live longer and healthier lives. Faced with intensifying financial strain and demand for diagnostics, laboratories are struggling to deliver the answers that are so central to modern medicine.
Future-proofing against emerging healthcare needs
With the rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, Roche’s commitment to diagnostic innovation has never been more vital. For nearly 50 years, we have provided hospitals and laboratories with the diagnostic tests and instruments they need to better understand disease and patient biology. Worldwide, our instruments are used to conduct more than 15 billion tests every year.
As a global leader in diagnostics, we have recognised these unfolding challenges and are responding by developing innovative new systems designed to address the challenges of today and anticipate the needs of tomorrow. With our latest advances in diagnostics technology, we are offering a radical new vision for how to approach the increasingly complex healthcare environment: a revolution in simplicity.
Our vision is to empower laboratories to manage the future by streamlining how they are designed and by simplifying their equipment and processes. We have already pioneered the integration of clinical chemistry and immunochemistry, creating the concept of the ‘Serum Work Area’. The key now is to expand the core lab, consolidating and integrating further a wider range of platforms covering other diagnostic disciplines such as molecular diagnostics and point-of-care testing. Quite simply, we are enabling within a single automated system, a vast array of testing that gives answers to life’s critical challenges across the healthcare continuum.
A fully connected laboratory is the means to this end. One in which every component is designed to work together as one, vastly expanding the efficiency, scope and quality of diagnostic capabilities.