Advocacy - Lab Advocate
AACC recently released a new policy statement, Pediatric Lab Results: The Need for “Normal,” which urges legislators to fund the creation a national repository for the collection and storage of blood specimens from healthy children. These samples would be available to medical device manufacturers to develop new and more precise reference intervals for children. Currently, the lack of ‘appropriate’ specimens is a major obstacle to more accurately defining these ranges. Better reference intervals could reduce medical errors and improve patient care.
AACC recommends that the national repository, in addition to collecting, storing and disseminating the samples, also collect and make publicly available the reference intervals established using the specimens. AACC is further recommends that the data gathered, analyzed and reported along with the test results and pediatric reference intervals be standardized across the laboratory community. The Association recommends continued availability of de-identified residual specimens for quality improvement activities without the need for informed consent. AACC is in the process of developing a strategy for advancing the pediatric reference interval initiative and will work with agency and congressional personnel and other societies to build support for this project.