Huge Test Panels in the Search for Personal Purity
Speaker:
Michael Astion, MD, PhD, Geoffrey Baird MD, PhD, Creator and Co-Founder, PLUGS, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington; Professor and Chair, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington
Contact Hours:
1.0
Date:
November 04, 2025 - November 30, 2026
Description:
This podcast episode examines the quest for purity, where patients seek large, non–evidence-based lab panels to find hidden toxins or infections. Drs. Astion and Baird discuss how misuse of valid tests leads to false positives, unnecessary treatments, and wasted resources, emphasizing the need for evidence-based testing and patient education to prevent harm.
Learning Objectives:
- Define the concept of “the quest for purity” and the types of testing associated with it.
- 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.