Advocacy - Lab Advocate
On February 4, ADLM convened a congressional briefing focused on the critical role of pediatric reference intervals (PRIs) in improving diagnostic accuracy, clinical decision-making, and health equity for children. The discussion brought together leading experts in laboratory medicine, pediatrics, and public health to address both the scientific and policy dimensions of strengthening pediatric diagnostic infrastructure.
Speakers included Danyel Tacker, PhD, DABCC, FADLM, clinical professor at West Virginia University Hospitals; Stanley F. Lo, PhD, DABCC, FADLM, pathology professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin; Hubert Vesper, PhD, director of Clinical Standardization Programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and moderator Dennis J. Dietzen, PhD, DABCC, FADLM, Megan Dishop Chair of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
Speakers underscored how reliance on adult-based reference intervals can lead to misinterpretation of laboratory results, delayed diagnoses, inappropriate interventions, and increased healthcare costs for infants, children, and adolescents. Pediatric testing presents unique challenges, including smaller specimen volumes, rapid developmental changes, and limited availability of harmonized data across populations and platforms. Addressing these longstanding gaps requires sustained federal investment in data infrastructure and standardization efforts.
A central focus of the briefing was educating congressional staff and key offices about both the urgency of this issue and the practical opportunity to address it by leveraging existing federal infrastructure. Dr. Vesper explained how CDC can utilize its current programs and nationally representative data collection systems to advance harmonized pediatric reference intervals without establishing new federal initiatives. With dedicated funding, these improvements can be implemented efficiently through proven public health systems already in place.
ADLM is advocating for dedicated federal funding in the fiscal year 2027 budget to support this initiative and strengthen the nation’s pediatric diagnostic infrastructure.