Volume 38 Number 3 | June 2024

Sami Daniel, MD, ASCLS Today Volunteer Contributor

Sami Daniel, MD and Darby Naheedy, MLS

Sami Daniel, MD and Darby Naheedy, MLS

As a clinician, I establish and foster relationships with patients daily. We are elated to share favorable results and devastated when we must deliver bad news. In that regard, the exam room simultaneously serves as a sanctuary and a battlefield. Laboratory results galvanize the relationship between physician and patient. Therefore, the physician-patient relationship cannot have meaning without the relationship between physicians and medical laboratory scientists.

So why don’t I know more about medical laboratory scientists?

“Our name is important. Adopting a unified term is one step toward controlling our professional destiny.”1 Agreed. There is meaning behind a unified term, a name. There is value in being able to show up with distinction. A name is necessary for personal identity. A name stands the test of time and determines where you have been, where you are now, and where you are going; “… our professional destiny.”1

A name itself means very little without unique integrity of character. For instance, while every patient has a name, that name holds little meaning for those unfamiliar with the constitution of that individual. The title of “physician” means nothing unless that physician possesses the wisdom to gracefully accept humility in the face of life and death. Now I find myself learning about medical laboratory scientists in an effort, “… to recognize the fundamental part [you] play in the health care team.”1

“Through embracing the spirit of collaboration, I am able to glimpse what is behind the name, ‘Medical Laboratory Scientist.’ I see the integrity of character. I see laboratory professionals with patient-centered values. Most importantly, I see the name fashioned with the chisel of compassion …”

Given the intricacies of the healthcare ecosystem, no one can know everything. We simply trust that everything works. However, thanks to a chance meeting, I recently discovered a profound symbiosis between medical laboratory scientists and medical doctors. Each plays a vital role in the ultimate mission—to help patients.

Every patient’s journey is guided by a multidisciplinary team of unseen healthcare professionals. While physicians may engage patients directly, medical laboratory scientists play a crucial role in producing results for sound medical decisions. Laboratory results are meticulously validated for accuracy, precision, and dependability by laboratory professionals.

According to the ASCLS-Illinois constituent society, “Medical Laboratory Scientists are instrumental in patient care, with laboratory test results often significantly influencing patient treatment plans and consequently, their lives. Ensuring the accuracy and validity of these results is a crucial responsibility of every laboratory professional.”2

The specimens entrusted to medical laboratory scientists represent a part of that patient’s journey. We hope to reveal the mysteries of disease as their sample undergoes a steady transformation from raw data into actionable insights. Clinicians value the insights obtained from negative or equivocal results as much as positive ones to effectively direct patient care.

I remember a patient who came in for a routine annual preventive exam with no concerns. As part of our standard practice, we conducted a hepatitis C screening. This screen returned positive antibody results. Understandably, the patient was anxious. So, we decided to conduct further testing.

However, identifying and choosing the most suitable test among multiple possible quantitative assays presented a significant challenge. Fortunately, we had a medical student on rotation with a background in medical laboratory science. She had the ability to guide us through the options and recommend the most appropriate assay. The test results confirmed the presence of hepatitis C antibodies, yet indicated a negative viral load.

This information was crucial in reassuring the patient. Despite testing positive for antibodies, the absence of viral load meant that the patient was not actively infected with hepatitis C. This not only alleviated the patient’s anxiety but also underscored the importance of collaboration between medical doctors and medical laboratory scientists. Together, we were able to provide clarity and peace of mind to the patient, demonstrating how our combined efforts contribute to the mental and physical well-being of those we serve.

Yet medical laboratory scientists often operate in the shadows of the healthcare landscape with little to no acknowledgment of their critical role. Notably, their profession is unbeknownst to the general public and their contributions are often overlooked or misunderstood by those outside their field. I am no exception. I thought that the “lab tech” would only run tests on the ordered samples; a misconception I have endeavored to educate and rectify.

I believe that the physical divide between the clinical and laboratory realms seems to create an unintentional barrier which hinders the collaborative efforts between professionals, physicians, and medical laboratory scientists. Doctors may order tests with little knowledge of the intricacies involved in their execution, while medical laboratory scientists may struggle to convey the significance of their findings. As a result, patient care is sub-optimal.

In my small experience above, I found that awareness and communication are essential to bridge this gap. Physicians and medical laboratory scientists clearly operate in different spheres. However, we must recognize and develop our interconnected roles within the healthcare ecosystem to continuously enhance patient-centered healthcare. By fostering open lines of communication, we encourage mutual respect for one another’s discipline, we push each other to grow into the frontiers of our respective fields, and we deliver higher quality care as a result.

Through embracing the spirit of collaboration, I am able to glimpse what is behind the name, “Medical Laboratory Scientist.” I see the integrity of character. I see laboratory professionals with patient-centered values. Most importantly, I see the name fashioned with the chisel of compassion; a holy grail of the medical field which brings sincere distinction.

Whether at the bedside, in the exam room, or behind the scenes in the laboratory, we are all essential contributors to a shared mission—to heal, to comfort, and to empower those in need.

Special thanks to Darby Naheedy, MLS(ASCP), for opening my eyes to this wonderful field and integral community. I also express my gratitude for her guidance and feedback in the development of this article.

References
  1. Standardizing the Professional Title of Medical Laboratory Professionals – ASCLS. (2020, November 13). https://ascls.org/standardizing-the-professional-title-of-medical-laboratory-professionals/
  2. Laboratory Professionals – ASCLS-Illinois. (2020). asclsil.org. https://www.asclsil.org/resources/laboratory-resources

Sami Daniel is the Clinic Manager at Brookville Medical Center in Bolingbrook, Illinois.