Featured in Medical Laboratory Observer – MLO
Medical Laboratory Observer’s 2026 State of the Industry: Lab Data Analytics report highlights continued momentum in data-driven laboratory operations — alongside persistent interoperability, governance, and workflow challenges. Among the industry experts featured in the report is Lisa-Jean Clifford, President of Gestalt and President of the Association for Pathology Informatics (API).
Each year, Medical Laboratory Observer (MLO) surveys laboratory leaders and technology experts to assess how data analytics is shaping the future of clinical laboratories. The 2026 report points to steady digital expansion across labs, but also underscores a familiar reality: extracting actionable insights from fragmented systems remains difficult for many organizations.
In the report, Clifford emphasizes that one of the most persistent barriers to effective analytics is the fragmented data environment many labs operate within. With information spread across laboratory information systems, electronic health records, and other platforms, analytics efforts often begin with the challenge of assembling usable data.
Clifford also highlights the operational limitations created by legacy infrastructure. As labs generate and capture more data than ever before, the ability to organize, access, and analyze that information becomes essential to improving efficiency and supporting informed decision-making. Without modern, integrated approaches to data management, valuable insights remain difficult to unlock.
The report further explores how laboratories are responding by investing in analytics platforms, strengthening governance practices, and aligning data strategies with operational goals. Clifford notes that improving data quality and accessibility is foundational to this effort, enabling labs to move beyond retrospective reporting toward more proactive operational intelligence.
Her perspective reflects a broader industry shift: laboratories are increasingly recognizing that analytics is not simply a reporting function — it is a strategic capability that supports efficiency, transparency, and better diagnostic workflows.
Source: Medical Laboratory Observer, “State of the Industry: Lab Data Analytics,” March 2026.
