While an appreciation of the central role that diagnostics play in European healthcare has increased substantially in recent years, diagnostics companies still face many challenges in the design, development, funding, regulation and adoption of new products.

These challenges, together with growing demands on healthcare and a shortage of skilled staff and other resources, have led to growing patient backlogs and highlighted the need for radical transformation of diagnostic services.

More collaborative ways of working and rapid advances in science, technology and data analytics create opportunities to reimagine diagnostic pathways and deliver a more predictive, personalised, preventative and participatory (4P) future for patients, and a more cost-effective future for health systems.

Our pair of reports explores the future of diagnostics in Europe:

The main report

Technology driven personalised and preventative healthcare in Europe examines how innovations are improving diagnosis and creating opportunities to transform the role of diagnostics in care pathways. It identifies the barriers that the industry is facing today, and how these might be overcome to realise improved health outcomes tomorrow.

Our companion report

Reforming diagnostics: turning challenges into enablers, explores how the key challenges identified through our primary research (surveys, interviews, and literature reviews) can be turned into enablers to ensure a more productive and sustainable future for the industry.

Our survey of clinicians found that the top three most important changes needed to improve the future of diagnostics are:

One.

Education and training of clinicians to enhance understanding of research, data science and diagnosis derived from genomic, digital and AI devices – 40% selecting as one of their top three (15% selecting as their number one change)

Two.

Collaborations between healthcare and MedTech organisations to design diagnostic devices to address areas of unmet need – 31% (10%)

Three.

Access to real time device user/patient data – 31% (10%)

The technologies expected to transform the future of diagnostic pathways

Digitalisation, robotisation and automation are giving rise to smart laboratories and smart imaging systems that can readily handle the increasing demands from healthcare providers and consumers at greater speed and lower cost. Our research has identified technologies that are already enhancing diagnosis, and those that are likely to transform diagnosis in the future.

Crucial trends that will shape the future of diagnostics, include widespread adoption of biosensors and a growth in the use of companion diagnostics; increased adoption of liquid biopsies; direct to consumer testing and automation; and the transformation of pathology and radiology using AI and advanced analytics.

Partnerships with consumer technology companies will help shape this future and help to transform clinical pathways. Collaborations will also be essential in designing new value-based payment models that reward all partners for health outcomes and better management of prevention, early detection, and wellness.

Diagnostics companies can transform future clinical pathways

Given the acceleration of advances in science, technology, miniaturisation, and advanced analytics, Deloitte believe the future of diagnostics is integral to the future of health and this co-dependency will transform the future of diagnostics and in turn help realise the future of health. We have envisioned how three patient pathways might look in the future, and how these would contribute to a more predictive, preventative, personalised and participatory (4P) future of health.