By Tammy Gay
~
During National Medical Laboratory Week April
12 to April 16, hospitals nationwide will celebrate the scientists who provide valuable
analysis on patients' blood, urine, and other bodily fluids.
~
|
LEXINGTON, KY (April 1, 1999) -- Clinical
laboratory scientists are the behind-the-scenes professionals who provide the information
physicians need to diagnose diseases such as cancer, AIDS, and other viruses. During
National Medical Laboratory Week April 12 to April 16, hospitals nationwide will celebrate
the scientists who provide valuable analysis on patients' blood, urine, and other bodily
fluids.
"These professionals are largely ignored," said Linda Brown, information
coordinator for Clinical Laboratories at the University of Kentucky Hospital.
"Patients see doctors and nurses, but they don't see the CLS professionals who
perform the important tests that provide physicians the technical information needed to
confirm a diagnosis.
"Many patients even believe the physician orders and actually performs the
laboratory tests. These behind-the-scenes employees are very important for the UK Chandler
Medical Center."
Annually, the University of Kentucky Hospital Clinical Laboratory's 170 full- and
part-time employees perform 1.5 million tests.
These tests include everything from blood counts, cholesterol checks, pap smears, drug
screens, sexually transmitted disease tests, and microbial cultures.
It is estimated that one-third of the diagnostic information used by physicians and
other health care providers to make a diagnosis is produced by laboratory testing. |
