Clinical diagnostics is entering a period of significant opportunity and complexity. In a recent Becker’s Healthcare podcast, William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, discussed trends shaping the organization and the broader industry, including advances in precision medicine, the growing importance of data, and evolving patient expectations.

Precision medicine advances, including next-generation sequencing, liquid biopsy, and new tests for neurodegenerative diseases, are giving clinicians more sophisticated tools for patient care. Dr. Morice shared how Mayo Clinic Laboratories is increasingly collaborating with outside organizations to offer the latest innovations.

He also noted that laboratories are the engines generating much of the data that fuels clinical decision-making and artificial intelligence (AI) tools. This increases the value of the laboratory and makes laboratory professionals critical to ensuring AI is adopted responsibly and used to improve patient care.

As patients take a more active role in managing their health and wellness, he expects demand for convenient, accessible diagnostic services to grow and create new opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and patient-centered care.

“I think it's a great opportunity for us, but there's a lot of learning that's going to have to happen. It may be with some new partners that we haven't engaged with in the past that really understand the experiences that people want,” says Dr. Morice.

Despite these opportunities, Dr. Morice predicts that laboratories will continue to face reimbursement pressures that can make it more difficult to maintain services, invest in innovation, and balance financial sustainability with the demand for advanced testing. Meeting these challenges will require continued collaboration and a shared commitment to delivering high-quality care.

Listen to the podcast for more on these trends and opportunities.