Live from the PLUGS Summit
Speaker:
Michael Astion, MD, PhD, Geoffrey Baird MD, PhD, Creator and Co-Founder, PLUGS, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington; Professor and Chair, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington
Contact Hours:
1.0
Date:
June 17, 2025 - June 30, 2026
Description:
This podcast episode was recorded live at the PLUGS Summit in Seattle, Washington on April 4, 2025. As part of the Summit, attendees were invited to a podcast recording to discuss issues raised at the Summit and answer questions. The discussion covers a range of topics including fraud and other causes of egregious overutilization; maintaining the lab’s agency within a healthcare system; the good and evil of free testing; reference lab relationships; and hard and soft ways of enforcing stewardship policies.
Learning Objectives:
- Explain common signs of inappropriate or excessive lab test ordering based on claims or billing patterns.
- List two practical ways lab professionals can build stronger influence within their healthcare system.
- Describe why free or reduced-cost testing from commercial labs can be risky, and identify one way a lab can manage this issue.