Physician Office Testing Found Responsive to Developing World Needs

The points of strongest demand in the global physician office laboratory (POL) sector have converged around testing related to lifestyle diseases, according to a new report from Kalorama Information (New York City, NY, USA). Also, use of the most-performed POL tests is quickly growing in the developing world.

Of the 10 fastest growing tests in the POL market over the next 5 years, 6 are related to diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, thrombosis, and colon cancer. The growth of such POL test markets (projected each at over 5% annually) is a result not only of increasing utilization in US preventative care, but also of adoption in near-patient testing in the developing world. POL testing, completed during or in conjunction to a primary care visit, has been adopted worldwide to improve routine care using diagnostic technologies able to be leveraged outside of more centralized laboratory settings.

According to Kalorama’s report “Physician Office Laboratory Markets, 3rd Edition,” microalbumin, c-reactive protein (CRP), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), D-dimer, cardiac markers, and fecal occult blood (FOB) tests will see above-average POL market growth to reach nearly 16% of the total POL market in 2019. All six tests and test-families can be performed with rapid results. FOB and HbA1c tests are 2 of the 12 most-performed POL tests in the US market; 3 of the tests (FOB, HbA1c, cardiac markers) can be performed without CLIA lab certification.

The surprising aspect of market success, however, is their fast-growing application in developing markets. “POL or physician office testing isn't typically associated with the developing world: outside of the United States, Europe, and Japan, there's only 5% of the global market remaining,” explained Emil Salazar, report analyst for Kalorama Information, “But as growth has cooled in more established POL markets in the past few years, we are seeing rising placements of near-patient and POC test devices at clinics in India and China.”

A confluence of factors in India has particularly assisted development of the POL market. Economic development and rising incomes have unfortunately increased the prevalence of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Amid uneven and at times problematic healthcare modernization in India, patients there have turned to private clinics and primary healthcare centers modeled after Western practices. In such institutions, POL testing is increasingly a fixture valuable in reassuring patients through timely, in-house performed test results. A fleet of tests are expected to see deployment in rest-of-world (ROW) POL markets, including CRP, glucose, HbA1c, basic lipid profiles, and cardiac markers CK and BNP.

The expansive market selection of POL tests is analyzed through a series of market segments in Kalorama’s report, as are the varying prospects of national and regional POL markets.

Related Links:
Kalorama Information
Physician Office Laboratory (POL) Markets, 3rd Edition