IVDs are found in virtually every healthcare setting and at every stage of the patient care pathway. They are a critical gateway to healthcare and appropriate care. 

Companion diagnostics supply  information necessary to make important decisions, offering the dual benefit of improving outcomes and reducing the risk posed by exposing patients to ineffective treatments.

From state-of-the-art hospitals in developed countries to resident-run health clinics in limited resource settings, beyond their professional expertise healthcare professionals require in vitro diagnostic (IVDs) tests to make decisions regarding implementation of medical treatment. 

In vitro diagnostic technology is used around the world, in a variety of settings. To maximise the benefit that testing can bring globally, it is important to share knowledge and experience. The Global Diagnostic Alliance plays an important role in many of the discussions taken at an international level. 

Lab Tests Online is an information resource developed to help patients and caregivers better understand their laboratory tests. Find out more by visiting labtestsonline.org

Antimicrobial resistance is a massive global public health challenge,and the increased use of currently available diagnostic tests and the development of new, rapid diagnostic tests are critical parts of the solution.

Many infectious diseases have minor complications if diagnosed and treated appropriately. But left untreated, others—including pneumonia, tuberculosis, HIV and meningitis—can be life-threatening.

Advances in diagnostics technologies and in our  fundamental understanding of the mechanisms of cancer at a molecular level are driving the development of new treatments and diagnostic tests.

This document is partly a primer on diagnostic technology and partly a status report on trends in the field of diagnostic tests.

Diagnostic tests can help physicians decide whether an antibiotic will cure an infection and which one will work best.

Routine diagnostic testing has been shown to greatly reduce both the number of new cervical cancers diagnosed each year and deaths from the disease