A recent article by Alyx Arnett, published in Clinical Lab Products (CLP), explores how the 2026 American Diabetes Association (ADA) Standards of Care are shaping the future of diabetes testing, and what those changes mean for clinical laboratories. Drawing on perspectives from multiple industry experts, the piece highlights the growing operational impact of evolving clinical guidelines.
As outlined in the article, Diabetes Testing Moves Earlier—and Gets More Complex, updates to ADA recommendations are influencing not only which tests are performed, but how laboratories manage volume, standardization, and turnaround expectations. Expanded screening criteria and increased emphasis on consistency are prompting labs to re-evaluate workflows, ensuring they can support both clinical accuracy and efficiency at scale.
Among the contributors, Gestalt’s President LJ Clifford offers perspective on how updated ADA Standards are expected to influence laboratory testing strategies, particularly as recommendations expand screening and refine diagnostic criteria. She highlights the downstream impact on laboratories, including increased testing demand and the need to ensure consistency across methodologies such as A1C, glucose, and other diagnostic approaches. Her commentary underscores the importance of aligning laboratory processes with evolving clinical guidance while maintaining accuracy, standardization, and efficiency. This reinforces a broader theme across the article: as guidelines evolve, laboratories must be prepared to adapt workflows in ways that support both clinical decision-making and operational performance.
The article underscores a critical shift across the industry. Clinical guidelines are increasingly driving real-time changes in laboratory operations, requiring systems and workflows that are both flexible and scalable. For laboratory leaders, this means thinking beyond individual tests and toward a more connected, workflow-driven approach to diagnostics.
Read the full article by Alyx Arnett in Clinical Lab Products: Diabetes Testing Moves Earlier—and Gets More Complex
