Lead Screening

Protocols and Tips for Pediatric Lead Screening

Protocols for lead testing:

• All CenCal Health members must be given a blood lead test at age 12 months and age 24 months at minimum. Source: California Department of Public Health
• Provide the patient’s parent or guardian with anticipatory guidance/health education material about lead exposure screening (download one here)
• If a lead test is not administered, or if a parent declines/refuses lead test, document this in patient’s chart.
  • Download a refusal form template
• Report any abnormal lead tests to your County’s Department of Public Health and the California Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch

Here are some important notes and tips to promote lead screening in your practice:

• Include an alert in your EMR system or the patient’s chart to screen for lead exposure at 12 & 24 months
  • Keep a chart alert for all patients under age 6 who’ve never been screened for lead exposure
• Note that patients on any government assistance program are considered at-risk, and should be screened for lead exposure (this includes Medi-Cal/CenCal Health eligibility)
• Discuss the importance of lead exposure screening with parents at each well child visit before 3 years of age
• Utilize CenCal Health’s “members due for lead testing” reports available to you on the provider portal
• Offer point-of-care lead testing in your office

For more information about pediatric lead exposure screening, you can to go:

• Watch CenCal Health’s Pediatric Lead Screening Webinar (Presentation Slides)
• Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch
• American Academy of Pediatrics: Detection of Lead Poisoning
• CenCal Health Clinical Guidelines
• CDC Recommended Actions Based on Blood Lead Level

If you have any questions about recommended lead exposure screening, please contact populationhealth@cencalhealth.org