Clinical Labs: Working with planetary health for patient health

This article reflects on the relationship between Planetary Health and healthcare workers in 2025. As clinical chemistry specialists working within the healthcare system, attention to the health of the patients who utilize our portion of the healthcare system now extends beyond provision of information. How we provide that information, how often we provide this information, and how extensive the information is that we do provide impacts Planetary Health - the major determinant of health for our patients born this year and thereafter. We summarize the importance of looking at this broader view of health as lab specialists have agency in effecting how clinical labs operate in the remainder of this century. Our position is that this agency should be in alliance with Planetary Health for the benefit of our patient's health in the next generations. We recognize the patient born today, a 50 year old in 2075, as a Patient Advocate Virtual (PAV) who could symbolically be present in decision making in the clinical lab - and throughout the healthcare system - to remind us of the importance of caring for Planetary health tomorrow while we care for patients today.