The Importance Of Laboratory Automation

667 Words2 Pages

Laboratory Automation
Medical scientist graduates are a declining. Medical Technologists (MT) require a bachelor’s degree and Medical Technologist (MLT) require an associate’s degree to sit for the board registry to become certified. The number of schools that offer these programs has declined over the years because the expense of the program is high and finding externships can be difficult. Therefore, the number of students able to sign up for these classes has decreased. MTs and MLTs are critical to providing laboratory results to aid in the treatment and care of patients. According to the article, “Laboratory Automation: Important Considerations”, “Up to an estimated 70% of medical decisions are based on laboratory test results. Yet, while diagnostic testing is a critically important step toward improving health-care outcomes, many labs remain constrained by tight budgets and limited resources.” (Hickey, 2012) As seen in the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Employment of medical laboratory technologists and technicians is projected to grow 22 percent from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the average for all occupations.” (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014) In order to fill this increasing need, hospital laboratories and clinics have started investing into technology to help manage the workload and fill in the gaps. The hospital that I work for has also adopted the “Lean” concept to help manage time wastage, which allows for a more productive workflow.
Automation in the laboratory setting has greatly improved over the last twenty years and smaller, more efficient instruments are being developed all the time. “As existing responsibilities are reconfigured due to automated work flows, lab directors must reevaluate where to rep...

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...ty laboratories with limited resources by implementing ‘lean concepts’ and automation into their working environment. The long-term outlook of this profession has changed from just being a scientist to having the ability to run and maintain complex instrumentation in a fast paced, critical environment.

References:

Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2014, January 8). Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians. Retrieved January 26, 2014, from Bureau of Labor Statistics: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-and-clinical-laboratory-technologists-and-technicians.htm
Hickey, D. (2012, March 28). Laboratory Automation: Important Considerations. Retrieved January 26, 2014, from American Laboratory: http://www.americanlaboratory.com/913-Technical-Articles/39230-Laboratory-Automation-Important-ConsiderationsLaboratory-Automation-Important-Considerations/

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