To ensure that the benefits of modern healthcare reach everyone, medical professionals are increasing support for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. In the practice of laboratory medicine, diversity and inclusion are integral components toward achieving health equity (Figure 1). Some examples include diverse representation when establishing reference intervals and in clinical trials, as well as representation in leadership roles to advocate for resource allocation on test development, research funding, and healthcare delivery.

DEI initiatives strengthen organizations and those they serve by broadening the viewpoints represented and shared, leading to more informed decision-making, and reducing the likelihood of harm. In addition, including members with a range of training (i.e., medical laboratory scientists, pathologists, clinical chemists, clinical microbiologists, and molecular geneticists), backgrounds, expertise, and experience (i.e., industry, reference laboratories, government, community hospitals, and academic medicine), strengthens healthcare delivery.

Figure 1.

Diversity: Includes but is not limited to race, color, ethnicity, nationality, religion, socioeconomic status, veteran status, education, marital status, language, age, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, mental or physical ability, genetic information, and learning styles.

Equity: The guarantee of fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all while striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups.

Health Equity: Optimal health for all including equitable access to appropriate clinical testing.

Inclusion: Authentically bringing traditionally excluded individuals and/or groups into processes, activities, and decision/policymaking in a way that ensures equal access to opportunities and resources.

In 2020 and 2021, the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM, formerly AACC) Board of Directors discussed and implemented a limited-duration DEI Strategy Task Force to assess the current state of the association’s activities, identify gaps, and provide direction for the future. The task force, which included ADLM volunteers supported by ADLM staff, worked to formulate DEI definitions, goals, and outcomes. An optional survey to ADLM members was distributed to gain information on the demographics of ADLM members.

The task force identified the following goals for the association:

  1. Integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion principles across all ADLM policies and programs.
  2. Increase leadership, engagement, and advancement opportunities for ADLM members.
  3. Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion in the laboratory medicine profession.
  4. Promote health equity and access to improve patient care and outcomes.

DEI is a core value for ADLM, and in order to achieve these goals, in 2022 ADLM created the DEI Steering Committee.

The DEI Steering Committee’s Work

The steering committee’s role in ADLM is to guide and implement initiatives and provide feedback to the Board of Directors. The steering committee works closely with ADLM’s Health Equity and Access Division to collect information and support implementation of health equity initiatives. The steering committee will continue to work with internal ADLM committees to focus on incorporating the association’s DEI Lens (Figure 2) -- a framework to examine practices and processes to reduce the potential barriers that would unfairly exclude or negatively impact individuals from certain activities.

Figure 2.

ADLM DEI Lens:

  1. Who is involved? Is a diverse group of members and stakeholders included? What mechanisms can be implemented to broaden the group?

  2. Is it inclusive? Are the needs of all members met? What changes can be implemented to increase inclusion?

  3. Is it equitable? Are all members able to have access without barriers? Does one group of members have greater access and benefit more than others? What barriers need to be removed? What changes can be implemented to remove barriers?

  4. What is the outcome? Does the outcome communicate or demonstrate commitment to diversity and inclusion? Are there any potential negative outcomes? How will it be perceived by all members?

The DEI Steering Committee is comprised of focused subcommittees that work in collaboration with the other ADLM subcommittees.

  • The Publications Subcommittee advocates for inclusion and diversity in publications to advance the practice of laboratory medicine for all.
  • The Outreach Subcommittee develops collaborative relationships within ADLM’s internal governance and external organizations on the global stage to advance DEI and health equity in ADLM’s membership, leadership, and programs.
  • The Communications Subcommittee develops and implements strategic DEI and health equity communications goals to promote ADLM’s DEI Steering Committee charge.
  • The Resources Subcommittee shares DEI and health equity resources that foster learning and provide tools to successfully implement DEI principles into programs.

To aid in this work, the ADLM DEI Steering Committee is working with an experienced DEI organizational consultant who has helped similar large organizations develop comprehensive DEI strategies. A holistic view of opportunities and concerns for implementing DEI practices in the organization was collected through a series of one-on-one interviews with the members of the DEI Steering Committee and ADLM leadership. Recently, ADLM distributed a survey to its volunteers to learn more about their perceptions of DEI. The results of the survey are being used to guide conversations within the committee with the goal of reflecting the needs of ADLM members.

A Unique Opportunity in Laboratory Medicine

Laboratory medicine professionals and scientists are in unique positions to improve healthcare delivery for all in their daily practice by working to ensure that appropriate testing is available, ordered, and properly interpreted for all populations across clinical specialties. Clinical laboratorians also can have an impact by:

  • Advocating for increasing funding and more research to address health disparities in traditionally underfunded disease states.
  • Increasing diversity in reference range studies and clinical trials.
  • Using data analytics to examine ordering practices and outcomes to identify and address healthcare issues for all populations.
  • Building a strong leadership and volunteer pipeline built upon the DEI Lens.

How to Get Involved

DEI is integral to the organization’s mission to “provide global leadership in advancing the practice and profession of clinical laboratory science and medicine” and its vision of “better health and healthcare through laboratory medicine.” Support from ADLM members and its volunteers is essential in advancing the organization. The steering committee is committed to listening to and receiving feedback from the diverse ADLM membership to improve healthcare for all. For more information on the DEI Steering Committee and related resources and initiatives, see ADLM's DEI resource page.

Nadia Ayala-Lopez, PhD, MLS (ASCP), DABCC, NRCC-CC,  is director of clinical chemistry in medical affairs for Labcorp Drug Development, Central Laboratory Services, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Email: [email protected]

Zahra Shajani-Yi, PhD, DABCC, FADLM, NRCC-CC, is senior technical director and clinical chemist for the Labcorp’s West and Mid-America regional laboratories and co-discipline director of Routine Immunoassays. Email: [email protected]