Improving blood disorder diagnosis: reflections on the challenges

Hematology laboratories have a vital role in providing diagnostic testing for a wide range of blood disorders. Improvements in hematology laboratory diagnostics are highly dependent on new discoveries on blood disorder pathology, the translation of new knowledge into assays for clinical testing purposes, and research that assesses, compares, and optimizes diagnostic practices. This article reviews the author's experiences with research leading to improved blood disorder diagnosis, including research studies on Quebec platelet disorder and other bleeding disorders, evaluations of practice, and research on the external quality assessment of diagnostic testing for platelet function disorders. The importance of research to advancing diagnostic testing for blood disorders is emphasized.