Medical & Diagnostic Laboratories Industry Profile

Companies in this industry provide analysis and diagnostic services by examining body fluids and producing images of the body for medical professionals and patients. Major US companies include Alliance HealthCare Services, LabCorp, Quest Diagnostics, and RadNet.

The commercial medical and diagnostic laboratory industry in the US consists of about 8,000 companies with combined annual revenue of about $47 billion. Medical labs account for about two-thirds of industry revenue; imaging centers account for one-third. High growth is forecast for the next two years. Key growth drivers include higher demand for medical treatment.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is linked to the number of people receiving medical treatment. The profitability of individual companies depends on efficient operations and good marketing. There are large economies of scale in the operation of medical labs, which can receive samples from a wide geographical area. Small medical labs can compete effectively by providing specialized analyses, or by serving geographical regions with few medical facilities. Imaging centers don't have similar economies of scale because they must be located close to patients, so small firms can compete effectively with large ones in a particular area. The industry is fragmented: the 50 largest medical lab companies generate about 40 percent of segment revenue, and the 50 largest diagnostic imaging companies account for about 30 percent of segment revenue.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Medical labs (often called "clinical labs") receive specimens of body fluids (most often blood) or tissues ...