Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine

A recently proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services would eliminate the requirement for doctoral scientists who direct high-complexity clinical laboratories to hold board certification approved by the Department of Health and Human Services. Under the proposed rule, qualifying doctoral scientists could meet federal requirements through just 1 year of experience directing or supervising high-complexity testing or 20 hours of continuing education about laboratory director responsibilities. “Neither of these alternative measures is equivalent to the independent assessment of specialized knowledge that board certification provides,” said ADLM President Dr. Stanley F. Lo. Read his full statement: https://ow.ly/tuX750ZZ6T7

Through our High School Speaker Series, volunteers have reached nearly 300 high school students this year, introducing them to the many career opportunities available in laboratory medicine. We're excited to highlight the Local Sections that have participated in these outreach efforts so far this year, including Southern California, North Carolina, Greater Chicagoland, Capital, Northeast Ohio, and Texas. From classroom presentations and science fairs to career conversations, these programs are expanding awareness of the profession and helping students better understand the vital role that laboratorians play in healthcare. Are you interested in bringing the High School Speaker Series to your area? Learn more and get involved: https://ow.ly/fXXN50ZYwt1

We’re pleased to announce that Amanda R. Ragula, CPA, has been named chief financial officer for ADLM, effective as of October 15. As ADLM’s chief financial officer, Ragula will serve on the executive leadership team and oversee financial planning, budgeting, and reporting. She also will work with ADLM leaders to evaluate investments in programs and operations. Learn more about Ragula’s background: https://ow.ly/FBBp50ZYeek

The Academy of Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine is accepting proposals for potential guidance documents! Help shape scientific recommendations for years to come. Submit your 2027 proposal by tomorrow, October 16. https://ow.ly/7mny50ZY9XX

Every child deserves test results tailored to their unique stage of development. A blood test can help guide care, but only if we know what’s normal for children. 𝗣𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘀 (𝗣𝗥𝗜𝘀) help healthcare providers interpret test results accurately and make informed decisions about a child's health. Without reliable pediatric reference data, diagnosing and monitoring disease becomes more challenging. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺? Establishing PRIs requires samples from healthy children, and those samples are often difficult to obtain. Many of the specimens available to laboratories come from children being evaluated for illness or medical conditions and may not reflect healthy pediatric populations. That's why 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 for pediatric reference interval research is so important. Expanding access to samples from healthy children will help laboratories develop more accurate reference intervals, leading to better diagnoses and improved care for pediatric patients. Use your #𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 to urge Congress to support funding for this critical work. Contact your representative today using the link below. It only takes a few minutes and can help advance laboratory medicine for children nationwide. https://ow.ly/SnpR50ZY2LY #ChildrensHealthMonth

Dr. Stephen Master, vice chair for innovation in the department of pathology and laboratory medicine at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, discussed examples of variables that can influence the accuracy of artificial intelligence (AI) healthcare tools in laboratory medicine. One variable is the instrument or manufacturer used to generate test results. Many labs still produce different results depending on the instrument and manufacturer. This can influence how AI healthcare tools report test results. Another variable is the demographic data that an AI algorithm was trained with. If it was trained with data from adult patients, can it adequately address the test results of pediatric patients? Given these and many more variables, laboratories need transparency from developers on the data used to train AI healthcare tools.

Dr. Sarah Wheeler, clinical pathology medical director at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, discussed the differences between rule-based artificial intelligence (AI), which follows an explicit set of rules written by humans, versus generative AI, and the challenges that arise from the different outputs that generative AI gives. AI needs more than just lab results to function well, Wheeler said. It needs the expertise of laboratory professionals who are adequately provided with the context behind those results.

Clinical laboratories are central to this transformation, because they generate approximately 80% of the data used to inform care decisions, according to Dr. Dennis J. Dietzen, chair of pathology and laboratory medicine at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. At yesterday’s congressional briefing, Dietzen emphasized the importance of urging Congress to establish a regulatory framework that promotes judicious use of healthcare AI while maximizing its benefits.

Drs. Dennis J. Dietzen, Sarah Wheeler, and Stephen Master spoke at ADLM’s congressional briefing at the Cannon House Office Building today. As leading experts in innovation in laboratory medicine and pediatric care, they discussed how artificial intelligence (AI) is currently being used in healthcare, the benefits and limitations of this technology, particularly for children, and what Congress needs to do to ensure the ethical use of healthcare AI.

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools need a clearly defined purpose, validation for the intended patients and settings, accountability in clinical laboratory practice, and ongoing monitoring to ensure they continue to perform as intended. This approach is central to ADLM’s recommendations for trustworthy clinical AI. As ADLM heads to Capitol Hill today, we will make the case that policymakers should establish clear expectations for AI oversight that protect patients throughout the clinical lifecycle. https://ow.ly/lVk550ZX9T7