296: Why I Rarely Order Lab Tests (And What I Do Instead)

You don’t need more tests. You need better questions.

If you’ve ever had a patient walk in with $3,000 worth of lab work and they’re still struggling, this episode is going to hit home. I’m sharing why over-testing is one of the most common – and most expensive – mistakes many functional medicine practitioners make. I’ll share the three reasons I might order a test, and the question I now ask every single patient.

What you’ll discover:

• The consistent pattern I see with almost every new patient – and what it tells me before they ever step foot in the door
• The three situations where a lab test is actually worth ordering
• Why the most valuable diagnostic tool you have isn’t a lab test
• Most lab tests are unnecessary
• The intake questions most practitioners never think to ask – but absolutely should

Timestamps:

• 01:21 Why We Overtest
• 05:09 Data Without Context
• 09:25 History Taking Wins
• 11:09 Better Questions Framework
• 13:36 Baseline Labs I Use
• 16:05 Trust Your Clinical Brain

Resources and Links:

• Clinical Academy
• Practice Better – patient intake and practice management software
• Professional Co-op Services – lab panels mentioned

If you want more of this kind of clinical thinking – how to think through a case, ask the right questions, and trust what you already know – Clinical Academy is where we discover all of it together.