PLUGS Podcast

AI in Lab Medicine and Lab Stewardship: Timesaver, Gamechanger, Panic-maker

Summary. In this episode of the PLUGS podcast, Mike Astion interviews Dr. Geoff Baird about AI in the Lab. Over the last year, Geoff and a few other University of Washington faculty members have been intensely studying and implementing AI in daily work. Geoff is on a quest to integrate AI into the UW Dept of Laboratory and Pathology. In this podcast, we discuss key aspects of this work. We first focus on some practical uses of AI that will resonate with PLUGS members. Then, Geoff ventures into applications that can significantly change the way we work. For more information on PLUGS: https://www.schplugs.org For more information on Medical Training Solutions: https://www.medtraining.org/ Learning Objectives: 1. List three common tasks in laboratory stewardship that can be performed with AI. 2. Compare and contrast basic AI that uses prompts to help with repetitive tasks and agentic AI, which can do complex tasks. 3. Name a barrier to the implementation of AI in the clinical lab. PLUGS Website:  https://www.schplugs.org/ MTS Website https://medtraining.org/

Conflict Management and Apology in Laboratory Stewardship

In this 11th edition of the PLUGS podcast, Drs. Jane Dickerson, Mike Astion and Geoff Baird work through cases of conflict management and apology related to laboratory stewardship. The cases come from PLUGS members and add depth to our recent PLUGS National Webinar on the same topic. The cases cover disruptive physicians, structured apologies, overly large test panels, special test requests, point-of-care testing, screaming in the car, and much more. Have a listen. Learning Objectives: 1. List two or three common conflicts in laboratory stewardship. 2. Describe the components of a structured apology, emphasizing the main needs of patients. 3. Name three common conflict management tactics and apply them to a case regarding a disruptive physician, or a case of a physician who wants to order a test that is not on the test menu. PLUGS Website:  https://www.schplugs.org/ MTS Website https://medtraining.org/

Laboratory Genetic Counselors to the Rescue

In this 10th edition of the PLUGS podcast Dr. Mike Astion interviews Paige Haas and Darci Sternen, who are Laboratory Genetic Counselors in the Dept of Laboratories at Seattle Childrens Hospital. Paige and Darci are active in our clinical laboratory practice and in our PLUGS program where they are involved in helping clients, providing education, and in policy making. The conversation with Darci and Paige covers a number of topics including differentiating the role of Lab genetic counselors from clinic-based genetic counselors. In addition, we discuss applying lab stewardship strategies to reduce low-value testing, as well as to obtain optimal genetic testing while reducing denials for that testing. PLUGS Website:  https://www.schplugs.org/ MTS Website https://medtraining.org/

14 years of PLUGS: Lessons, Relationships, and Progress

In this holiday edition of the PLUGS podcast, Drs. Jane Dickerson, Mike Astion and Geoff Baird reflect on the history and learnings from PLUGS, as well as from the stewardship practices at the University of Washington, Seattle Childrens and PLUGS members around the country. We also give PLUGS its first official mascot, and draw analogies between PLUGS, TV Shows and Sports. Enjoy and thanks for being part of the story. Learning Objectives: 1. Identify key strategies for building interdisciplinary relationships to support laboratory stewardship programs within health systems. 2. Explain how clinical decision support (CDS) systems can improve lab test ordering, naming one challenge in implementing them, and describing one potential future improvement in CDS that involves AI. 3. Name two accomplishments of PLUGS that have had a national impact. 4. Define why it is important to have specific CPT coding to support laboratory stewardship, using celiac testing as an example. PLUGS Website:  https://www.schplugs.org/ MTS Website https://medtraining.org/

Huge Test Panels in the Search for Personal Purity

In this episode of the PLUGS podcast, Drs. Mike Astion and Geoff Baird discuss the massive testing panels associated with the belief that the environment –through its many metals, biotoxins, microbes, and allergens—is a significant source of unresolved signs and symptoms.  The time stamped highlights are listed below. 00: 00 Defining the quest for purity. 07:00 Are the providers true believers, or is this quackery? 14:00 Are the patients psychiatric or is this simply dissatisfaction with conventional care? 20:00 War on Aging: Are we in bondage to decay and death? 25:40 Heavy Metals: Germanium, Palladium, Thorium and beyond 33:00 PFAS: and the new war on Teflon 44:00 Consequences of the quest ---for patients, labs, and insurers--and how to mitigate them. 1:01:00 How can we help conventional providers cope with these orders and results? 1:06:00 Stories from the Quest: A person discovers double-blind testing, and a person turns blue. Learning Objectives: * Define the quest for purity and the types of testing associated with it. * Describe the role of belief, experience and evidence in the large test panels * associated with the quest for purity? * Describe two negative consequences of the quest for purity and how a risk- * based approach can mitigate these consequences? * Explain one way clinical labs can help conventional providers with patients who * are on the quest for purity? PLUGS Website:  https://www.schplugs.org/ MTS Website https://medtraining.org/