It is that time of year when we take time to realize the importance of our work and how it impacts patients around the globe. Again this year, our focus is on Patient Safety, which embodies our work each day.<\/p>\n
In fact, a major heading in our Code of Ethics is our Duty to the Client, who is often a patient. Being educated as a Biomedical Laboratory Scientist and using the skills and knowledge we received, helps us to ensure that we place Patient Safety First.<\/p>\n
Our training and continued education never stops. It also helps us to ensure that we are up-to-date in our procedures, providing the best services we can to the patient.<\/p>\n
[contextly_sidebar id=”fXb97K1hsciHclvlcUBcvMAUBpBhLxOo”]I hope you all take the time to reflect on how important you are to the health of our patients. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I wish you all a glorious Biomedical Laboratory Science Day.<\/p>\n
By:\u00a0Tom Stowe, President of the International Biomedical Federation of Biomedical Laboratory Science.<\/p>\n
The Value of Lab Tests and the Untold Truth<\/strong><\/p>\n On this special day for myself and my profession, medical laboratory science, this is a short note in the form of an education and an eye-opener to the entire human race particularly those who in one way or the other have patronised the service of a medical laboratory for routine examination, referral by a health professional or through an outreach medical screening.<\/p>\n Our story<\/strong><\/p>\n In modern medical practice, there is no way a medical practitioner will succeed in redeeming his\/her patient\u2019s health without referring his or her patient to a medical laboratory for at least once. This has also been necessitated by the advocate for individualized and evidence-base medicine.<\/p>\n In some parts of the world, it would be unethical for medical personnel to write or start medication or surgical procedure without thorough understanding of the basic metabolic function of the patient. Be it the kidney, the liver, the blood or any other. This can only be achieved by the use of laboratory services.<\/p>\n Lab tests and medical laboratory practice has come a long way from the time it was done in the doctors consulting office at the John Hopkins hospital, USA, to the level that labs function like a factory involving highly sophisticated equipment requiring highly scientific, medical knowledge and well educated professionals. Medical laboratory practice is chockfull of science in the health sector and the lab profession is really an experience of science such that only research and experimented procedures are employed into use.<\/p>\n Lab tests detect what you cannot see. It determines most of the decisions a medical doctor has to take on a patient. It is based on a lab and other tests results that a doctor will tell a patient, for this condition it is beyond me and then transfers that patient to another facility.<\/p>\n It is based on this same lab results that a doctor may declare that your condition require spiritual intervention or just tell you to go home. That\u2019s pathetic indeed.<\/p>\n It is by the lab test that a health professional will advise a client to change his\/her habit of living. You may be told to keep fit, check your diet, check drinking or medication. It is per the lab results that a doctor can just describe a patient\u2019s condition so perfectly as if he or she is the one experiencing the condition. It is not magic or exceptional knowhow; it is because the lab result depicts whatever is happening in the body.<\/p>\n Laboratories now determine the drug a doctor must give to a patient to ensure complete healing. When someone has an infection, it is highly recommended that the person goes for a test first to identify if possible the causative organism before any drug is administered. The lab is able to provide the specific drug that will work in a particular case. The non-adherence to this has resulted in the numerous resistance and recurrence of diseases we have today.<\/p>\n The dynamics<\/strong><\/p>\n In the developed world, laboratories operate as business entities including those within government facilities. This is because, ensuring continuous Lab operations that yield the needed quality results come with continuous investment of huge amounts which cannot be achieved when the lab is run as a subsidiary and output diverted.<\/p>\n The cost and operation of medical laboratories in Ghana and diversion of output has rendered some labs ineffective. Wrong application and use of laboratory services by medical practitioners has rendered some labs incapable. A research published by researchers at the Utah academic medical centre in the United States, proved that 30 to 50% of lab tests requested by medical doctors were unnecessary and amounts to a waste of about $910 billion a year. Not only this, the excessive tests may lead to false positive and cause safety concerns for the patient, the researchers asserted.<\/p>\n These instances have made some labs especially those in the government sector ineffectual which has led to excess pressure on the already poor existing infrastructure and personnel. There is poor quality assurance adherence. There is a saying in the private labs which says operate under international supervision, i.e., \u201cquality is expensive\u201d and this accounts for their high charges.<\/p>\n The misconception<\/strong><\/p>\n To inform the general public on issues related to laboratory practice, it is also prudent to correct some anomalies and delusions the general public has been made to believe.<\/p>\n First of all, an impression has been created that lab tests are generated by adding some chemicals to samples (eg. blood) to get the result. This statement has come from other health professionals and the populace has been made to accept it as such. They sometimes think you are not doing well because you are giving them long time to generate result which can be easily generated.<\/p>\n They have been made to understand the operations in the lab is simple and results has to be available as and when is needed. Some even tell lies because they are in a hurry for results. You will hear a patient say, the doctor said I should bring the results right now. But the test takes one week to generate result. Interesting right?<\/p>\n The above statement is not absolutely wrong; but to get a lab results goes very far from just adding chemicals. A chemical or reagent may be needed but there is more to it. There is the need to make sure the result is accurate and precise. There are well instituted quality control mechanisms, which are so complex and require continuous learning.<\/p>\n The issue of advances in technology has made things quite simple; but still complex. To understand how these machines operate, how to manage and instruct them to operate effectively and generate good result is overwhelming.<\/p>\n The other misconception has to do with the professionals. Lab professionals are not all technicians (Lab Technician) as popularly known. There are Scientists, pathologists, doctors (PhD) and specialists. Technicians are the last grade of professionals after lab assistants.<\/p>\n They normally hold some certificates in lab technology or some diploma as referred to in some countries. These are the people patients and clients who visit Labs normally see. They pick samples and help in some technical operations. The Scientists and technologists are hardly seen. The Lab technician title has been dominant because it was until the early 2000; that laboratories in Ghana were dominated by technicians and technologists. But now there is a paradigm shift.<\/p>\n The total effort<\/strong><\/p>\n Scientists, Technicians, Technologists and sometimes pathologists, contribute in a cohesive manner to generate the result that is presented to a patient or client. It is not a matter of getting results; but a matter of getting results that reflect what is actually happening in a patient or client.<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n By: Kyeremeh Evans (MLS)<\/p>\n mr.evanskyeremeh@gmail.com<\/p>\n The writer is a Biomedical Scientist and a Medical advocate. He is currently working with a reputable health facility in Ghana. He is a symbol of laboratory science and an epitome of professionalism. He has a motivation to help harmonize health professions and systems to provide the needed output for patients care and satisfaction. He advocates for good medical practice and patients\u2019 right. What do you know of laboratory medicine\/science and your Lab test? Let\u2019s get in touch…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It is that time of year when we take time to realize the importance of our work and how it impacts patients around the globe. Again this year, our focus is on Patient Safety, which embodies our work each day. In fact, a major heading in our Code of Ethics is our Duty to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[19,374],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n