In this episode, Michael Astion, Clinical Professor and Division Chief of Laboratory Medicine at Seattle Children's Hospital describes new interventions to improve lab test utilization based mostly on recent work at Seattle Children's Hospital. The interventions include email templates mailed to providers in response to specific test orders, privileging, send-out formularies, and CPOE templates. Special consideration is given to the proper use of genetic counselors and doctoral level laboratory staff to create a utilization management (UM) system for genetic testing. The UM system developed at Seattle Children's has been used as the model for a new service, called PLUGS (Pediatric Laboratory Utilization Guidance Service), which helps peer hospitals improve their use of lab tests. The result is cost savings to hospitals and increased value to patients.
5/8/2013
