Current State and Needs of Clinical Laboratories in Latin America: A Cross-Country Assessment

The Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM) aims to improve health by providing education to laboratory scientists worldwide. Different regions of the world face unique challenges shaped by their national and regional contexts. However, the needs of clinical laboratories worldwide remain largely understudied. To address this gap, we conducted a comprehensive needs assessment survey among laboratory professionals in the Latin American region. The survey was distributed to over 2708 individuals across Latin American countries and yielded 148 responses. Most respondents were from urban areas (74%) and worked in private hospital laboratories (45%), with microbiology (25%) and chemistry (23%) identified as the most common specialties. Key findings include continuing education as the top challenge, identified by 59% of respondents, with a predominant preference for virtual learning formats (83%), though not exclusively; 50% also identified a preference for in-person learning. Other challenges, such as staff shortages, lack of equipment and funding, were selected by 30% to 36% of respondents, whereas regulatory oversight and quality management were less frequently identified as priorities. To contextualize the survey findings, we conducted interviews with laboratory professionals in the region. Common themes included resource and technology constraints, uneven implementation of quality standards, and the need for collaboration between government and professional organizations to bridge gaps in practice. This assessment highlights the need for targeted educational interventions to address the distinct challenges faced by Latin American laboratories. Addressing these gaps in continued education, fostering collaboration, and engaging stakeholders in the region offer a roadmap to strengthening laboratory services and health outcomes.