Summary:
Laboratory leaders see digital pathology and AI as essential tools for driving precision medicine and long-term transformation amid ongoing industry challenges, according to the 2025 Laboratory Leadership Report.

Takeaways:

  1. Top Challenges: Staffing shortages (38%) and declining reimbursements (31%) are the leading concerns, pushing labs to adopt long-term tech-driven solutions over short-term fixes.
  2. AI’s Role in Precision Medicine: 86% believe precision medicine is delivering real benefits, with digital pathology and AI seen as critical to enabling more accurate diagnoses and better patient outcomes.
  3. Vendor Trust Matters: Reputation, customer references, and future vision are top vendor selection criteria, highlighting the importance of trusted partnerships in successful AI and digital pathology adoption.

Diagnostic laboratory leaders view digital pathology and artificial intelligence (AI) as pivotal to advancing precision medicine. This perspective comes as organizations across the sector prioritize modernization and seek trusted partners to support their transformation, according to research released today.

The 2025 Laboratory Leadership Report, based on a survey conducted by The Dark Intelligence Group on behalf of Proscia, captures insights from 360 senior professionals representing independent, hospital, and academic laboratories.

Nathan Buchbinder, Chief Strategy Officer at Proscia, said: “We’re seeing a clear signal from the market. Laboratory leaders believe that AI-driven pathology is not only ready, but essential to meeting the demands of modern healthcare. They’re now focused on getting adoption right—especially as strain from persistent industry challenges continues to intensify.” says Nathan Buchbinder, chief strategy officer at Proscia.

Staffing Shortages and Financial Pressures Fuel Modernization

According to The 2025 Laboratory Leadership Report, 38% of laboratory leaders cite staffing shortages as their most significant challenge, and 31% highlight declining reimbursements as their top concern. These issues outweigh other pain points, including regulatory compliance and keeping pace with emerging tests and technologies.

To address these challenges, laboratory leaders are increasingly turning to technology. Their top-ranked opportunities are automation to drive efficiency (30%), molecular and genetic testing (29%), and AI to enable precise, accurate diagnoses (25%). These findings reflect a shift away from short-term fixes and toward longer-term transformation powered by solutions including digital pathology and AI.

AI-Driven Pathology Advances Precision Medicine

As laboratories modernize to overcome mounting pressures, many are simultaneously laying the foundation for precision medicine. According to the report, 86% of senior professionals believe that precision medicine has moved beyond the hype.

Leaders most often associate it with measurable benefits: more effective therapies (80%), more accurate diagnoses (75%), and improved patient outcomes (61%). Some also point to increased collaboration with pharmaceutical companies (23%), reflecting growing recognition of new revenue opportunities in the precision medicine era.

A majority (59%) say that digital pathology and AI will be highly or extremely impactful in realizing precision medicine, reinforcing their central role in the laboratory’s long-term transformation.

Trusted Partnerships Are Key to Digital Pathology and AI Adoption

The strategic importance of AI-driven pathology is also reflected in what laboratory leaders value most when selecting a technology vendor. According to the report, 64% cite reputation, 54% name customer references, and 46% identify future vision as one of their top vendor criteria, underscoring the need for trusted, long-term relationships to support lasting change.

This mindset extends to technology selection as well. Laboratory leaders express a clear preference for solutions that are both comprehensive and intuitive, with 47% prioritizing breadth of functionality and 45% valuing user experience as key product attributes.

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