Job analysis in the clinical laboratory

Area of Science:

• Medical Laboratory Science
• Clinical Laboratory Management
• Professional Certification in Healthcare

Background:

• The roles and responsibilities of laboratory personnel are crucial for efficient healthcare delivery.
• Understanding the scope of practice for certified medical technologists (MT) and certified laboratory assistants (CLA) is essential for laboratory management.
• The American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP) Board of Registry provides certification for various laboratory professionals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the tasks performed by MT(ASCP) and CLA(ASCP) in hospital clinical laboratories.
• To identify differences in job responsibilities, particularly in areas like teaching and supervision.
• To inform workforce development and role delineation within clinical laboratories.

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to 111 hospitals within a 100-mile radius of Morgantown, West Virginia.
• Task inventories were completed by 165 laboratory workers in 55 responding hospitals.
• The chi-square test was used to compare tasks performed by MT(ASCP) and CLA(ASCP).

Main Results:

• Both MT(ASCP) and CLA(ASCP) performed largely the same clinical laboratory tasks.
• A statistically significant difference was observed in the frequency of teaching and supervision duties.
• MT(ASCP) personnel were more frequently assigned teaching and supervision responsibilities compared to CLA(ASCP).

Conclusions:

• The findings suggest a significant overlap in the core technical tasks performed by medical technologists and certified laboratory assistants.
• Supervisory and educational roles appear to be key differentiators in the responsibilities of MTs compared to CLAs.
• This study provides valuable insights into the professional scope and hierarchical structure within hospital clinical laboratories.