Laboratory Stewardship
What is Laboratory Stewardship?
- Improving the ordering, retrieval, and interpretation of appropriate laboratory tests.
- Developing, maintaining, and improving systems to provide proper financial coverage for medically necessary testing.
- Studies have demonstrated significant rates of unnecessary or inappropriate test orders, and delays in (or lack of) result retrieval.
- To prevent hospital-acquired anemia, misleading test results and patient anxiety, and unnecessary costs to the health system and to patients.
- Leadership commitment and governance
- Data extraction and monitoring
- Interventions
- Review and improve
Reference: Dickerson JA, Fletcher AH, Procop G, Keren DF, Singh IR, Garcia JJ, Carpenter RB, Miles J, Jackson B, Astion ML. Transforming Laboratory Utilization Review into Laboratory Stewardship: Guidelines by the PLUGS National Committee for Laboratory Stewardship. J Appl Lab Med. 2017 Sep 1;2(2):259-268. doi: 10.1373/jalm.2017.023606. PMID: 32630981
UCLA Health Laboratory Stewardship Program
Pathology and Laboratory Stewardship Program Leadership
- Dr. Allison Chambliss, Laboratory Stewardship Task Force Co-Chair
- Dr. Josh Deignan, Laboratory Stewardship Task Force Co-Chair
- Dr. Omai Garner, Vice Chair, Clinical Laboratory Affairs
- Alexander Martin, PA (ASCP), MHA, Laboratory Stewardship Task Force Co-Chair
- Monique Trinh, MHA, Program Manager
Governance Structure
The Laboratory Stewardship Task Force (LSTF) consists of key Department stakeholders to develop and execute goals that ensure patients get the right rest at the right time.
The Laboratory Stewardship Oversight Committee (LSOC) consists of key UCLA Health leadership to provide oversight to the LSTF and assist with systemwide implementation efforts.
UCLA Health was awarded as the PLUGS Member of the Year for 2024! PLUGS (Patient-centered Laboratory Utilization Guidance Services) is a laboratory stewardship collaborative with a mission to improve laboratory test access, ordering, retrieval, interpretation and reimbursement. This prestigious award is given to one of PLUGS’ 90+ member institutions based on the following assessment: 1) they have made significant advances in their laboratory stewardship program, 2) they have used the PLUGS network and services, and 3) they have contributed their experiences back to the PLUGS network. The award recognizes exceptional contributions to collaboration and leadership in lab test stewardship efforts locally and nationally. The award was announced at the annual PLUGS Summit held June 13-14, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. We are so grateful to all our faculty, trainees and lab staff whose dedication to better lab stewardship processes made this honor possible!
L to R: Monique Trinh, JEDI, Laboratory Stewardship, & Quality Improvement Program Manager, Dr. Jane Dickerson, Co-Founder and Director of Clinical Services at PLUGS & Dr. Allison Chambliss, Associate Clinical Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Director of Laboratory Stewardship
Connect with Us
- Test Directory
- The UCLA Health Laboratory Test Directory is a great resource for information about available tests, specimen collection guidelines, qualified reference labs, and more. Please use this link to access the test directory.
- New Lab/Test Requests
- We are committed to ensuring patients get the right test at the right time by providing an optimal experience for test ordering in CareConnect. Please use this link to submit requests to the LSTF to add new tests or reference labs in accordance with HS1309: “Laboratory Specimens – Referral to Outside Laboratories."
- Lab Stewardship Task Force Suggestion Box
- Laboratory stewardship requires collaborative teamwork to ensure patients get the right test at the right time! Do you have ideas to improve test utilization? Please use this link to submit your suggestions to the LSTF. All ideas (big or small) are welcome!