TAG:
Medical laboratory
A medical laboratory or clinical laboratory is a laboratory where tests are done on clinical specimens in order to get information about the health of a patient as pertaining to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.
Laboratory medicine is generally divided into two sections, each of which being subdivided into multiple units. These two sections are anatomic pathology and clinical pathology.
Distribution of clinical laboratories in health institutions varies greatly from one place to another.
The staff of medical laboratories may include:
- Pathologist
- Clinical biochemist
- Pathologist’s assistant (PA)
- Medical laboratory scientist (MT, MLS or CLS)
- Medical laboratory technician (MLT)
- Medical laboratory assistant (MLA)
- Phlebotomist (PBT)
In many countries, there are two main types of labs that process the majority of medical specimens. Hospital laboratories are attached to a hospital, and perform tests on patients. Private (or community) laboratories receive samples from general practitioners, insurance companies, clinical research sites and other health clinics for analysis.
These can also be called reference laboratories where more unusual and obscure tests are performed. These include Mayo Medical Laboratories, ARUP Laboratories, Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp. For extremely specialized tests, samples may go to a research laboratory. Many samples are sent between different labs for uncommon tests. It is more cost effective if a particular laboratory specializes in a rare test, receiving specimens (and money) from other labs, while sending away tests it cannot perform.
Laboratories today are held together by a system of software programs and computers that exchange data about patients, test requests, and test results known as a laboratory information system or LIS. The LIS is interfaced with the hospital information system.
This system enables hospitals and labs to order the correct test requests for each patient, keep track of individual patient or specimen histories, and help guarantee a better quality of results as well as printing hard copies of the results for patient charts and doctors to check.
Credibility of medical laboratories is paramount to the health and safety of the patients relying on the testing services provided by these labs. The international standard in use today for the accreditation of medical laboratories is ISO 15189. In the United States, under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA), accreditation of medical laboratories is done by the Joint Commission, College of American Pathologists, AAB (American Association of Bioanalysts), and other state and federal agencies. CLIA 88 or the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments also dictate testing and personnel.
More Labs Opt to Use and Lab Automation
CEO SUMMARY: Many of the nation’s more innovative laboratory organizations are paying closer attention to laboratory productivity and operational performance. To achieve improved operations, these labs are putting three tools to greater use. They are using targeted automation solutions …
March 20, 2006 “Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
On March 13, 2006, American Esoteric Laboratories, Inc. (AEL) of Brentwood, Tennessee announced the acquisition of Physicians Medical Laboratory (PML). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Located in Morristown, Tennessee, PML gives AEL a presence in east Ten…
OML Graduates First Distance-Learning MTs
CEO SUMMARY: Faced with staffing shortages and a ready pool of B.S. graduates in the local community, two years ago, Oregon Medical Laboratories decided to use long-distance learning programs to recruit and train employees interested in earning certification as MTs and MLTs. This business…
Houston Lab Fills Gap For Katrina Evacuees
CEO SUMMARY: Literally overnight, Houston found itself dealing with tens of thousands of evacuees fleeing the destruction in New Orleans and surrounding areas. Many evacuees arrived in poor health. The Harris County Hospital District laboratorians of Houston pitched in to create an emerge…
JCAHO, NQF CEOs Speak to Lab’s Future Role
CEO SUMMARY: What an opportunity! On the same podium were the presidents of both the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and the National Quality Forum (NQF), specifically to speak about laboratory medicine’s role in the evolution of the nation’s heal…
Bi-Annual Look at Trends Reshaping Clinical Labs
CEO SUMMARY: Among other things, we declare the end to the heyday of the independent commercial lab company which offers a broad test menu to all types of office-based physicians. In its place springs forth the specialty or niche testing laboratory. Small and focused on a specific number …
“November 22, 2004 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
Community-based pathologists get a featured role on the Learning Channel’s Inside Health program. It will be aired Sunday, November 28 at 8:30 am EST. The Learning Channel used pathologists affiliated with Pathology Service Associates (PSA) to help create …
BC Labs’ LOINC Venture Now Carries Pharma Info
CEO SUMMARY: In British Columbia, two commercial laboratory companies are intense competitors. Yet, beginning in 2002, they jointly offered a single Web browser-based system for lab test results reporting. LOINC was the tool which linked their individual lab data repositories to the PathN…
“April 26, 2004 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
Pathology gets another plug! CBS television recognized National Medical Laboratory Week with public service announcements (PSAs) featuring CSI: Crime Scene Investigation star William Peterson. The story behind the story is that Peterson asked CBS to cover production costs and broadcast time …
No Disruptive Technology In Lab Industry’s Future
CEO SUMMARY: As new diagnostic technologies move through the development pipeline and into widespread clinical use, the scientific knowledge and skill sets needed by laboratory staff and management will change. The emphasis in laboratory medicine will evolve to include more molecular tech…
CURRENT ISSUE
Volume XXXII, No. 7 – May 12, 2025
Economic, Tech changes drive lab concerns, The Dark Report provides insights from the Executive War College speakers about how clinical labs can use business strategies and tactics to handle the new tariffs, future regulations, and artificial intelligence (AI). Also, this issue provides guidance on how labs and pathologists should prepare for payer audits.
See the full table of contentsHow Much Laboratory Business Intelligence Have You Missed?
Lab leaders rely on THE DARK REPORT for actionable intelligence on important developments in the business of laboratory testing. Maximize the money you make-and the money you keep! Best of all, it is released every three weeks!
Sign up for TDR Insider
Join the Dark Intelligence Group FREE and get TDR Insider FREE!
Never miss a single update on the issues that matter to you and your business.