Published in The Pride of the Prairie newspaper
Have you ever wondered who conducts the detailed laboratory testing for your annual exam, such as cholesterol and glucose levels, and analyzes the results? Or who conducts specialized testing for genetic disorders like sickle cell disease? How about those who identify an antibiotic resistant infection like MRSA and determine which antibiotic is required to save someone’s life? Well, if you thought that it was your physician, or perhaps a nurse or someone else you see at your doctor’s office or in the hospital, you would be incorrect.
MLS professionals provide up to 70 percent of patients’ laboratory testing to physicians so they can provide an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan. Doctors rely on laboratory test results to make informed patient diagnoses. Patient history, along with physical signs and symptoms are vital, but most diagnoses need confirmation that only laboratory tests can provide. The laboratory professional also contribute to wellness testing, guiding treatment, and monitoring patient progress.
What is a Medical Laboratory Professional?
A Medical Laboratory Professional (medical laboratory scientist, MLS; medical laboratory technician, MLT; and other specialists) is a behind-the-scenes component of the medical profession. These professionals are responsible for performing and reviewing the results of tests (such as blood tests) to inform the correct diagnosis, and ultimately the right interventions for one’s health. These medical laboratory professionals have a role in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness and disease. Lives are saved everyday by these medical laboratory professionals and the 7.25 billion laboratory tests performed by them across the United States each year.
Increased exposure has recently helped bring the role of the lab professionals from being a behind-the-scenes worker to someone whose services are requested by the public. Advocacy for more testing, both patients and doctors, has improved numerous outcomes in hospital settings; most notably, there has been a marked decrease in the number of inappropriate treatments being prescribed to patients.
Examples of common laboratory tests include tests to detect anemia, diagnose diabetes and strep throat, and provide a transfusion to an accident victim.
Professional duties include:
The Training
Becoming an MLS is not an easy task. University courses are heavy in the biological sciences and feature courses in metabolism, genetics, microbiology, chemistry, and organic chemistry, among many more. As part of the degree, more advanced courses such as microscopy, clinical chemistry, clinical microbiology, immunology, immunohematology, and hematology are also required. Both an understanding of the human body and how all the different, complex bodily functions come together are required to be able to appropriately analyze the results of the laboratory tests.
Following and/or during the final coursework, the students must also take a number of clinical laboratory courses to enhance their education and training and to bring what they’ve learned to the laboratory bench. There are multiple additional laboratory-based courses, including hematology, blood banking, microbiology, clinical chemistry and general laboratory skills also taught to students to create a laboratory professional who is adept in theoretical and practical application of laboratory testing. Lastly, the students are immersed in clinical rotations, as well as coursework in quality control/quality assurance, and principles of business management. Presently, Bowdle Healthcare has had the opportunity to host such a student. After graduation, she will become a permanent member of the lab team here at Bowdle.
Conclusion
The growing population and shrinking planet increases how fast diseases can travel. Patients can contract historically “exotic” diseases much more easily now, and the services provided by MLS can help top diagnose these seemingly rare diseases.
The profession is growing, and its essential role in healthcare is being seen outside of the medical laboratory. Schools are training young minds to help diagnose and recognize medical disorders to improve patient care. The future will depend on these individuals to curb the next outbreak as well as improve the quality of life of our aging population.