Reducing inappropriate vitamin D testing: an analysis of three sequential diagnostic stewardship interventions and...

The climate crisis is a health crisis, and healthcare contributes to this via consumption of resources, the release of greenhouse gases, and the generation of waste. Pathology testing underpins most healthcare, and the vast number of tests performed in clinical laboratories come with an environmental cost. There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating that many pathology tests are unnecessary, utilising finite resources, potentially causing patient harm, and generating a carbon footprint. Vitamin D testing is one such example.

A quasi-experimental study of three real-world diagnostic stewardship interventions to reduce inappropriate vitamin D testing. The number of vitamin D test requests were measured pre- and post- each intervention, and cardon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) savings were estimated for any reduction in testing that was realised.

An intervention that passively provided information on best practice did not reduce testing volumes. Interventions that removed automated reflex testing in the emergency department, and the implementation of a best-practice clinical decision tool utilising national testing guidelines resulted in a statistically significant reduction of vitamin D requests. These reductions cumulatively saved almost 44,000 g CO₂e across the three diagnostic stewardship interventions.

This study showed that diagnostic stewardship interventions can reduce testing volumes and generate CO₂e savings. While these savings are modest, it is possible to consider that if such interventions were used widely to prevent inappropriate testing across multiple test types, laboratories, and healthcare settings, the cumulative carbon and financial savings could be substantial. Such 'soft stop' interventions do not prevent a clinician who is determined to send such tests, and future work should combine these tools with behavioural change interventions to maximise their benefit.