PLUGS Podcast
The PLUGS Podcast aims to empower healthcare providers, clinical laboratories, insurance plans, and patients by enhancing lab stewardship. Through insightful discussions, expert guidance, and valuable resources, the PLUGS Podcast is dedicated to supporting all stakeholders in navigating the complexities of clinical lab stewardship, ultimately promoting both better patient outcomes and financial security.
Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or the MTS website!
Laboratory Stewardship Focus: Quarterly Section in Clinical Laboratory News
PLUGS is supporting CLN’s Laboratory Stewardship Focus section!
The editors of Laboratory Stewardship Focus welcome you to this experiment in stewardship education. We are a diverse group of editors consisting of a clinical chemist, an informaticist, two pathologists, and a genetic counselor. Our goal is to cover all aspects of laboratory stewardship using a variety of engaging formats including interviews, articles, literature reviews, cases, and more.
Read more about why PLUGS is supporting CLN’s Laboratory Stewardship Focus.
In their Lab Stewardship Lecture Video, PLUGS Gold Sponsor ARUP Laboratories invited Dr. Astion to play host for a day in a laboratory stewardship-themed parody of Jeopardy!™, with Dr. Jane Dickerson (PLUGS) and Dr. Andrew Fletcher (ARUP) providing expert commentary. Although no Alex Trebek, Dr. Astion just might be the Alex of PLUGS. Grab some popcorn and test your stewardship knowledge.
Click here for more information about the contestants, Continuing Education credit, and to watch Lab Stewardship JeoPARODY!
Mayo Clinic Laboratories And Change Healthcare White Paper Series
This three-part series of white papers was developed in collaboration with Mayo Clinic Laboratories (Gold sponsor of PLUGS) and Change Healthcare. It provides frontline data, perspective and commentary from experts and physicians on the application and value of implementing a clinical decision support (CDS) system in the laboratory. The third paper includes early-adopter proof points from several hospital laboratories that have successfully implemented third-party decision support to achieve their stewardship goals, including EHR interventions and ongoing monitoring of utilization.
White Papers
As a clinical laboratory leader, it’s important for you to understand why selling the lab will not solve core problems like overutilization, low-value testing, inappropriate use of high-cost testing, and provider confusion over best test choice which can lead to irrelevant results.
#2 — Critical Factors for Launching a Clinical Decision Support System in the Hospital Laboratory
part 2 of a three-part series— provides practical pearls on how a proven decision support solution and one that is a good fit for your lab can be the foundation of an effective laboratory stewardship program, and can greatly assist in controlling utilization and meeting the challenges of value-based care. As well, the paper also clearly explains the points for “buy versus build” laboratory decision support.
This white paper – the third in a three-part series developed in collaboration with Mayo Clinic Laboratories and Change Healthcare – provides frontline perspective and commentary from experts and physicians on the application and value of decision support in the laboratory. It also includes early-adopter proof points from hospital laboratories that have successfully implemented third-party decision support to achieve their stewardship goals, including EHR interventions and ongoing monitoring of utilization.
The Importance of Genetics Experts in Optimizing Genetic Test Orders Through Prospective and Retrospective Reviews.
Authors: M Edye Conway, Cassidi Dailey Kalejta, Darci L Sternen, and Ila R Singh.
PLUGS (Patient-centered Laboratory Utilization Guidance Services) along with Metis Genetics and Texas Children’s Hospital, undertook a study to demonstrate the potential impact of genetics specialists on identifying genetic test order errors, improving health insurance reimbursement for genetic testing, and providing cost savings. This study was conducted to help uncover the benefits of a laboratory stewardship or utilization management program led by genetic counselors.
Laboratory Stewardship for Clinical Genetic Testing
Author: Jessie Conta
Ensuring appropriate utilization of genetic tests and reducing errors improves patient care, reduces costs, and lays an important foundation of trust between patients, providers, institutions, and insurers. Rapid evolution of assays, expansion of genetic tests into multiple medical specialties, direct consumer access, and focus on precision-medicine initiatives foretell a future where genetic test stewardship programs are essential to supporting quality patient care. This review article summarizes the impact of genetic counselors and targeted stewardship interventions that improve genetic test utilization.
Clinical and Histopathologic Predictors of Disaccharidase Deficiency in Duodenal Biopsy Specimens
Authors: Robyn Reed and Cristina Pacheco
Disaccharidase (DS) activity in duodenal biopsy specimens is the gold standard for diagnosing DS deficiency. We investigated strategies to reduce the need for DS testing and whether clinical or histopathologic factors predict DS deficiency.
Precision Medicine Podcast: a Laboratory Stewardship Program to Foster Precision Medicine Best Practices
PLUGS’ Dr. Michael Astion was a featured guest on The Precision Medicine Podcast! Listen to the full podcast here.
Laboratories could be considered the epicenter of the precision medicine industry, so we were thrilled to have Dr. Michael Astion, Medical Director for the Department of Laboratories at Seattle Children’s Hospital join us. In this episode, he introduces us to PLUGS, (Patient Centered Laboratory Utilization Guidance Service) a grassroots program he co-founded that exists to promote and strengthen laboratory stewardship.