Precision at the Periphery: Last-Mile Diagnostics and the Future of Healthcare Logistics

15 October 2025.

Decentralised and On-Demand Diagnostics: Redefining Access

Decentralised and on-demand diagnostics are shifting testing from central laboratories to patient-centric environments. Mobile phlebotomy, portable testing kits, and digital platforms enable collection in homes, workplaces, and remote clinics, bringing clinical precision to the point of need.

This model enhances accessibility, particularly in underserved regions and for conditions requiring frequent monitoring, such as hormonal panels in FemTech applications, chronic disease biomarkers, and infectious disease screening

Operational Advantages:

Delivers rapid diagnostics in home and community settings
Expands access for rural and underserved populations
Integrates with telehealth and EHR systems for seamless data flow
Maintains regulatory compliance and sample integrity via AI-powered logistics

Cold chain systems, AI-driven routing, and real-time tracking safeguard sensitive materials such as liquid biopsies or genetic samples during transit. As healthcare becomes more personalised, on-demand diagnostics are emerging as a strategic pillar of decentralised care, and bridging logistics, technology, and patient empowerment.

Visiongain Analyst Insight: As healthcare decentralises, diagnostics must evolve from standalone tests to integrated platforms. Providers that combine real-time logistics, data interoperability, and strong patient experience will define the new standard of accessibility and precision.

Cold Chain Logistics and Sample Integrity: The Critical Link

Cold chain logistics underpin reliable last-mile diagnostics. Samples such as blood, swabs, and genetic material are sensitive to time and temperature. Maintaining controlled conditions from collection to analysis is essential to ensure accuracy and compliance, particularly in FemTech, cell and gene therapy (CGT), and infectious disease testing.

To meet these demands, logistics providers are investing in cryo-compliant packaging, IoT sensors, and AI routing to monitor and protect diagnostics in transit. These technologies enable real-time visibility, predictive risk management, and cross-border consistency.

Key enablers of next-generation cold chain logistics:

Real-time IoT monitoring and predictive analytics
Cryo-compliant packaging for biological and genetic samples
Automated alerts and corrective rerouting
Regulatory-grade chain-of-custody protocols

The cold chain is no longer just a technical function; it is a strategic enabler of precision medicine, ensuring accuracy, trust, and scalability across decentralised care.

Visiongain Analyst Insight: The future of diagnostics depends on both clinical innovation and supply chain intelligence. Companies that integrate smart logistics and digital traceability will set the benchmark for global reliability.

Strategic Enabler for Decentralised Clinical Trials

Last-mile delivery is now a cornerstone of decentralised and hybrid clinical trials. Where traditional site-based models once limited participation to urban centres, mobile sample collection and cryo-compliant logistics now enable patients to take part from their homes and even from remote regions. This combination of expanded access and improved retention is paving the way for more accurate study outcomes and treatments that better reflect real-world patient populations.

These networks ensure chain-of-custody, sample integrity, and real-time traceability, which are essential for compliance and data validity. Integration with digital platforms such as EDC, ePRO, and EMR enables faster insights, improved monitoring, and fewer deviations.

Key Outcomes:

Expands recruitment reach and diversity
Improves retention through patient-friendly participation
Strengthens data integrity and compliance
Enables faster, connected decision-making

Visiongain Analyst Insight: Sponsors that embed last-mile logistics early in trial design will deliver faster timelines, higher-quality data, and stronger regulatory confidence. Operational excellence and patient accessibility now go hand in hand.

Key Players Making Headlines

A wave of investment, innovation, and partnerships is accelerating progress in last-mile diagnostics and healthcare logistics. The sector is seeing major players scale decentralised delivery, cold chain management, and patient-centric platforms to meet rising demand for speed, reliability, and regulatory compliance.

Labcorp (July 2025): Reported revenues of US$3.53 billion, up from US$3.22 billion in Q2 2024. Expanded hospital partnerships and invested in decentralised diagnostics, mobile collection, and cold chain logistics, signalling a shift toward patient-centric delivery.
Quest Diagnostics (July 2025): Q2 revenues reached US$2.76 billion, up 15.2% year-over-year. Leveraging AI-powered routing, digital workflows, and telehealth integration, Quest is cementing its position as a global leader in decentralised diagnostics.
Everlywell (February 2025): Expanded home-based sample collection with prepaid return kits, integrated digital tracking and teleconsultation, and launched AI-driven logistics optimisation to reduce turnaround times.
Blue Dart Express (August 2025): Partnered with Skye Air under India’s Medicine from the Sky initiative to pioneer drone-enabled delivery for time-sensitive diagnostics in remote regions.

Visiongain Analyst Insight: The global push toward decentralised diagnostics is creating new intersections between healthcare and logistics. Companies uniting transport intelligence, digital integration, and clinical reliability are setting the benchmark for next-generation delivery.

Recent Collaborations and Mergers Making Headlines

Strategic partnerships and M&A activity are reshaping the landscape of last-mile diagnostics, logistics, and healthcare delivery. Global leaders are investing in technology integration, cold chain expansion, and data connectivity to strengthen their capabilities across decentralised and patient-centric care models.

Labcorp acquires MedSpeed (Mar 2025): Strengthens same-day medical courier capacity for temperature-sensitive diagnostics and decentralised trials.
Quest Diagnostics acquires Pack Health (Feb 2025): Expands integration between last-mile diagnostics and digital patient engagement platforms.
UPS Healthcare acquires PolarTrack Logistics (Apr 2025): Enhances cold chain expertise through IoT-enabled containers and AI route optimisation.
Everly Health acquires BioIQ (Jan 2025): Extends reach into employer health programmes and payer networks for at-home testing.
Blue Dart Express partners with Skye Air (Aug 2025): Launches drone-based diagnostic logistics across rural India for infectious and maternal health screening.

Visiongain Analyst Insight: Consolidation is accelerating across logistics, diagnostics, and data infrastructure. The winners will be those who merge delivery precision with digital transparency to power decentralised healthcare at scale.

Key Trends Driving Market Growth

The last-mile diagnostics market is evolving rapidly, shaped by decentralisation, digital integration, and the push for more patient-centred, equitable care. These eight forces are defining its next phase and transforming how testing is delivered, accessed, and scaled:

Rise of Decentralised Healthcare: Growing demand for home-based diagnostics and telehealth is pushing testing closer to patients.
Growth in Chronic and Preventive Care: Frequent testing for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hormonal disorders is expanding localised diagnostics.
Cold Chain and Sample Integrity Needs: Cryo-compliant transport and IoT monitoring are becoming essential for high-value samples.
Digital Integration and Data Flow: Real-time connectivity with EHRs and telemedicine platforms supports automation and clinical decision-making.
AI and Predictive Logistics: Intelligent routing and demand forecasting enhance scalability and delivery efficiency.
Regulatory Push for Accessibility: Governments are prioritising inclusive diagnostic access in maternal and public health initiatives.
Consumer Demand for Convenience: Patients now expect healthcare logistics to match e-commerce standards in speed and transparency.
Clinical Trials and Real-World Evidence: Reliable last-mile logistics underpin compliance and data quality in decentralised trials.

Visiongain Analyst Insight: These forces are redefining diagnostic logistics. The winners will merge precision logistics, digital intelligence, and patient accessibility into a unified operating model. Last-mile delivery is no longer a cost centre, it is a strategic capability shaping the next era of healthcare infrastructure.

Strategic Questions That Matter

As last-mile diagnostics move from logistics to strategy, leadership teams must align operational excellence with innovation, regulation, and patient experience. The following strategic questions can help guide investment, partnership, and execution priorities:

1. Operational and Cost Efficiency: How will your organisation manage the high-cost burden of last-mile logistics, which can account for more than 50% of total healthcare delivery expenses? Can you achieve scale and reliability through AI-enabled routing, predictive analytics, and smart cold chain management, or will partnerships with express delivery and logistics providers be essential?

2. Collaboration and Infrastructure: Which strategic partnerships with diagnostic providers, CROs, or logistics leaders will be most critical in ensuring temperature-sensitive transport, regulatory compliance, and geographic reach? Are you leveraging public–private alliances, local delivery ecosystems, or drone logistics to overcome urban congestion and rural inaccessibility?

3. Regulation and Data Integrity: How will you ensure chain-of-custody, data privacy, and regulatory compliance in decentralised diagnostic networks? Is your model equipped to meet the growing demands for biohazard transport standards, real-time tracking, and cross-border regulatory harmonisation?

Visiongain Analyst Insight: Executives who view last-mile delivery not as a logistical function but as a strategic enabler of precision, access, and trust will shape the future of decentralised healthcare. The next frontier belongs to companies that fuse logistics intelligence, clinical rigour, and digital transparency into a single operational model.

Market Outlook: The Future of Last-Mile Diagnostics

The global diagnostics landscape is shifting decisively toward decentralisation, automation, and patient proximity. Last-mile delivery, once a logistical afterthought, has become a strategic growth engine underpinning precision healthcare, real-world data collection, and equitable access.

Visiongain forecasts strong growth in decentralised and hybrid diagnostic models through 2035, driven by:

Rising demand for home-based and point-of-care testing
Digital integration across logistics, telehealth, and clinical data systems
Regulatory support for accessible, patient-centric diagnostics
Investment in cold chain and drone logistics infrastructure

The convergence of cold chain reliability and cloud-based intelligence is transforming healthcare logistics into a high-value strategic asset. As AI, IoT, and automation scale across diagnostic networks, turnaround times are shrinking, integrity is improving, and data feedback loops are enabling faster clinical and commercial decision-making.

Visiongain Analyst Insight: The market is entering a phase of infrastructure-led innovation, where logistics, diagnostics, and data are inseparable. Companies that invest in digitally integrated, compliant, and scalable last-mile ecosystems will set the standard for accessibility, efficiency, and trust in global healthcare delivery.

What’s Next from Visiongain

At Visiongain, we track these market shifts with precision and perspective. Our analysts combine data-driven insight, industry intelligence, and strategic foresight to help decision-makers anticipate disruption and capitalise on emerging opportunities across healthcare, logistics, and life sciences.

The following reports explore the infrastructure, technologies, and business models driving this transformation: