speaker:
Dr. Michelle Parker is a Clinical Chemist at Alberta Precision Labs and an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Alberta. She completed her PhD at the University of Victoria with a focus on structural biology, followed by postdoctoral training in Clinical Chemistry at the University of Toronto. Since 2018, she has been part of the APL Edmonton Base Lab team, where she currently oversees the electrophoresis testing area. Dr. Parker has a special interest in the optimization and standardization of lab testing and reporting algorithms, leading projects in this area for all electrophoresis tests at Edmonton Base Lab. She enjoys teaching in undergraduate and postgraduate programs at the UofA, and she is a strong advocate of good resource stewardship and appropriate lab test utilization.
overview:
Inappropriate utilization of IgE allergy testing can lead to inaccurate or missed diagnosis of allergic disease, with negative consequences for patient health and resource stewardship. This presentation will cover the appropriate utilization of IgE allergy testing, an assessment of the IgE allergy testing previously available in Alberta, and the phased approach to improve utilization rolled out across the province in 2022. A detailed assessment of the outcomes from the implemented initiatives over the following two years will also be discussed.
learning objectives:
At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:
1) Define the role of IgE allergy testing in the investigation of allergic disease
2) Describe the risks of inappropriate utilization of IgE allergy testing
3) Appraise data to evaluate the effectiveness of IgE allergy testing utilization initiatives in Alberta