Advocacy - Lab Advocate
On March 18th, an ADLM-led coalition of 42 other healthcare associations and providers, including the Children’s Hospital Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, as well as several IVD manufacturers sent a letter to House and Senate leaders on the Labor, HHS, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee urging for funding to address the critical need for better pediatric reference intervals (PRIs).
Reliable and accurate PRIs are essential to make informed decisions about a child's health, however, a significant gap in the availability and quality of PRIs compromises the ability to provide the highest standard of care. Often, healthcare providers must rely on reference intervals derived from adult populations or, in worse cases, from sick children—both of which are inadequate and can lead to misdiagnosis or inappropriate treatment.
The CDC has existing infrastructure capable of addressing this issue. With additional funding, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) could collect clinical samples from healthy children, and its Environmental Health Laboratory, which works closely with NHANES, could develop these much-needed reference intervals. This effort promises to enhance the quality of pediatric care and ensure healthcare decisions are based on accurate and age-appropriate data.
ADLM is working is working to secure $10 million for the agency in its FY25 budget to advance this initiative.