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Opinion  

Opinion: Lab techs are integral to making the health care system work

Health care's unsung heroes

Every year there are hundreds of thousands of men and women across the country who play an integral part in your healthcare.

They are people you often don’t see, people whose expertise in an environment of ever-changing health technology provide doctors and nurses with the best in diagnostic testing.

As healthcare continues to develop into more preventative relationships, the answers provided by qualified laboratory professionals assist each of us in making responsible choices for our own health, as well as that of our family.

As a profession, medical laboratory technology has never stood out and tooted its own horn. It always been a silent pillar of the health equation, a very necessary part of the clinical foundation of health that provides valued services to healthcare professionals nationwide.

Those professionals could not make, nor confirm, many of the diagnoses made daily without the dedication of these laboratory professionals. With an ever-evolving workplace, technologists must keep abreast of the latest and greatest in testing methodologies, interfering substances and innovative procedures to ensure the results that reach your doctor are the best.

With more and more automated equipment entering the workplace, medical technologists have had to keep abreast of the latest testing available as well as how to operate the equipment and maintain its optimum performance. Not only are these professionals responsible for reporting test results, but they are also responsible for maintaining the equipment that produces the results. With budget constraints and government regulations, they have become a diversified group of health professionals who handle a wide range of responsibilities within labs and as part of a healthcare team.

On a regular workday, the average lab technologist tests hundreds of samples. It is also their responsibility to ensure the right information reaches your healthcare provider. This means they check everything from the time it arrives on their doorstep. They are notorious sticklers for detail.

I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. First, they must ensure the information they received from the source is correct. Any discrepancies in information can compromise the results. Lab personnel act as watchdogs for a busy healthcare system. Next, they must ensure the specimen being used for the tests requested is appropriate. Different tests have different requirements. Deviation from these can compromise the quality of results.

Once these two things are confirmed, they then send the specimen for processing. Depending on the tests requested, it will also depend on the amount of direct handling that will take place. There are still many tests that are done manually and require the technologists doing them to be competent in their tasks. For that reason, facilities routinely test their personnel to ensure they have the required skills to perform the tasks assigned to them.

Once results are generated, the technologist will decide if the results are appropriate for release. If there are any questionable results, results and specimens may be referred to the staff pathologist (a specialized physician in laboratory medicine) or to a referral facility. The goal of the laboratory technologist is to provide the best quality results for the consumer. For most people, their experience with the lab is having their blood drawn, providing a urine sample or having their throat swabbed. Most never consider the legion of dedicated professionals across the country who assist their healthcare team with providing the best care possible.

It is because of this quiet profession that many students, in their choices for careers, don’t look to medical technology as an option. But it can be a rewarding career, with several diversified fields one can decide to specialize in.

With critical shortages nationwide in this highly technical field, the quality of care for today’s population is being compromised. That means more and more responsibility is being placed on workers in labs with higher expectations and more stringent work conditions. This is true whether in hospital laboratories in isolated locations across Canada or in large metropolitan labs in hospitals or community labs. These health professionals don’t complain. They quietly move forward, dedicating their time and efforts to an ever-changing work environment.

The next time you have your blood tested, take a moment to think of the number of people involved in providing the best results for you. Don’t be afraid to ask them about what they do. It is through the sharing of ourselves that we grow the most.

Medical technologists love what they do. They are health professionals who want to make a difference. They are health professionals who do make a difference, every day.

Karen Phillips is the cor lab technical manager at Valley Medical Laboratories in Kelowna.



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