Laboratory and Medicine 2.1: Care for What You Wish for

Over the past few decades, healthcare has made remarkable advances. Across nearly all fields, diseases are better understood, and diagnostic and therapeutic options have expanded dramatically. Laboratory medicine is also developing at a rapid pace and is playing an increasingly central role in the diagnostic process, as well as in the monitoring of therapy and disease progression. For many conditions-including cardiovascular disease and cancer-patient outcomes have improved spectacularly. However, this success has also created new challenges. Death from acute illness has increasingly been replaced by survival with chronic disease. An aging-though not necessarily healthy-population demands substantial personal, financial, and organizational support. Hyperspecialization is poorly suited to meeting these complex needs. Moreover, efficiency-driven centralization of care, encompassing both clinical services and laboratories, may be necessary but often introduces new problems that can only be addressed through innovation and technology. Most importantly, strong professional leadership is essential. With healthcare professionals in the lead, we can ensure a resilient and sustainable healthcare system, supported by high-quality laboratory services, in which complex issues such as superspecialization, centralization, and efficiency are addressed in an optimal and integrated manner.