From Bias to Bottom Line
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:
September 04, 2025 - September 30, 2026
Description:
Drs. Mike Astion and Geoff Baird discuss foundational principles in lab stewardship and management through real-life examples and thought-provoking analogies. The conversation begins with a focus on cognitive biases, including the Dunning-Kruger effect and the normalization of deviance, and how they influence decision-making and behavior in laboratory practice. The second half of the discussion focuses on the economics of laboratory medicine, the unintended consequences of positive screening tests, and the role of labs in healthcare financial sustainability.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe how cognitive biases affect lab management and stewardship decisions.
- Discuss the role of the clinical lab in healthcare financial sustainability, including strategies to reduce waste and explore alternative revenue sources.
- List two examples of how testing practices impact healthcare costs and resource utilization.