"Clinicians are under growing pressure to deliver high-quality care with limited time and resources," said Dr. Brian Caveney, Labcorp's chief medical and scientific officer. "Test Finder is built to reduce that strain by offering a faster, more intuitive method to explore extensive test menus, conduct clinical research, and pinpoint the most appropriate tests—freeing up physicians to focus on what truly matters: patient care."

Streamlining Complex Workflows

It’s estimated that close to 70 percent of medical decisions are influenced by laboratory results. Yet selecting the correct test often involves sifting through lengthy lists of similarly named options. Choosing incorrectly can lead to delayed diagnoses, unnecessary expenses, or inappropriate treatment plans.

Test Finder gives clinicians instant access to a vast portfolio of tests spanning oncology, women’s health, neurology, autoimmune disorders, and other specialized assays. By leveraging artificial intelligence, the platform aims to reduce the time needed to place intricate test orders by as much as 70%. For instance, tracking down a rare endocrine test might have previously required navigating through 15 to 20 separate screens. With the new AI-powered assistant using natural language processing, the same task can now be completed in seconds.

This efficiency is critical. Primary care providers often see over 30 patients per day, each with unique diagnostic requirements. Even small time savings per case can significantly impact overall workflow.

How It Functions

Powered by AWS Bedrock, Test Finder uses a language model specifically trained on clinical terminology and Labcorp’s comprehensive test catalog. When a physician enters a symptom, condition, or clinical question, the AI analyzes the input, aligns it with established diagnostic pathways, and returns a curated list of relevant lab tests. Each result includes the test name, clinical purpose, required specimen type, and the corresponding order code.

The system operates on AWS infrastructure compliant with HIPAA regulations, ensuring robust data protection. Labcorp emphasizes that all patient information remains encrypted from end to end, with no data used to train external models.

A Growing Trend in Diagnostic Innovation

Labcorp is not alone in embracing AI. Quest Diagnostics has recently teamed up with Google Cloud to develop AI-driven tools for research and customer service. Leading academic medical centers are piloting AI agents in pathology and radiology to detect abnormalities in imaging studies more rapidly. These initiatives share a common objective: delivering accurate, actionable insights to clinicians faster.

Given that Labcorp performs over 700 million tests annually and supports the majority of newly approved FDA therapies, its launch of Test Finder is likely to influence broader adoption across the diagnostics industry.

The development team plans to continuously refine the tool. Success will be measured by the time saved for physicians, user satisfaction, and potential improvements in diagnostic speed.

"Test Finder exemplifies how we're harnessing technology to cut through complexity," said Bola Oyegunwa, Ph.D., Labcorp's chief information and technology officer. "By integrating generative AI into our platform, we’re enhancing the experience for healthcare providers and building the groundwork for scalable, intelligent healthcare solutions that evolve with customer needs."

AI’s Expanding Role in Medicine

Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming embedded across healthcare settings. A late-2024 McKinsey survey revealed that 85 percent of healthcare executives are either using or actively trialing AI applications—from automating insurance claims to optimizing patient scheduling.

In radiology, AI-powered imaging tools now pre-analyze scans for signs of lung nodules or tumors before a radiologist reviews them. Some systems can detect red flags within minutes, significantly accelerating time to diagnosis. In pharmaceutical research, platforms like DeepMind’s AlphaFold are revolutionizing protein structure prediction, enabling discoveries that once took years to be achieved in a fraction of the time.

On the administrative front, AI automates coding tasks and prior authorization requests. Hospitals using these systems report reductions in review times by 50 to 60 percent, allowing staff to redirect their focus toward direct patient engagement instead of paperwork.

Patients are also interacting with AI more frequently. Chatbots now manage common inquiries about prescriptions or symptoms. Digital mental health platforms employ conversational AI to monitor emotional patterns and recommend coping techniques—especially valuable in underserved rural communities where access to mental health professionals is limited.

Navigating Enthusiasm and Caution

Despite the momentum, some clinicians remain cautious about the expanding role of AI, particularly regarding the handling of sensitive health data. Labcorp stresses that Test Finder is designed to augment, not replace, clinical judgment.

Both medical professionals and regulators agree that AI systems must operate within clear ethical and safety boundaries. Algorithms can inherit biases present in training data, and errors in healthcare can have serious implications. As such, tools like Test Finder are being deployed with multiple validation layers and ongoing monitoring to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Nonetheless, the potential benefits are compelling. By streamlining the process of matching patients with the right diagnostic tests, Labcorp hopes Test Finder will do more than improve efficiency—it could help accelerate diagnoses and, ultimately, save lives.

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