• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to find terms that can give identity to the major and occupation of clinical laboratory technologist (also known as medical technologist). The term clinical pathology includes all branches of pathology, namely anatomical pathology, chemical pathology, hematology, microbiology, and all respective subspecialties. Unfortunately, several countries exclude anatomical pathology from the term clinical pathology, a problem that gets compounded when the title is translated into languages other than English. Clinical pathology (US, UK) is a medical specialty. Similar terms are laboratory medicine (Germany, Poland), medical/clinical biology (France, Netherlands) or clinical analysis (Spain). Depending on the person questioned, medical technology is defined slightly differently by individuals, companies, and institutions. The definition also depends on the language in which the question is asked. Medical technology can be translated to define clinical laboratory technology, allied health sciences, medical equipment, biomedical engineering, and health technology. The terms 'clinical pathology technology and pathological technology' are not used in allied health sciences. The names of 'medical technology·medical technologist' can be replaced by 'biomedical laboratory science·biomedical laboratory technologist' or 'clinical laboratory analysis·clinical laboratory analyst'. In this study, it is proposed to change the name of academic and occupation to 'medical biology·medical biology technologist' that combines the term biomedical.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.105-121
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• 2021

To investigate and accommodate opinions on the revision of the official occupational title of the medical technologist, the Korean Association of Medical Technologists (KAMT) requested 22,638 people registered as its regular members to participate in an online survey and select their two preferred options from the alternative job titles presented. Survey responses were collected from 3,999 people (17.66%). To examine job title preferences among the KAMT members, each respondent was asked to choose two terms from the choice set. As a result, 6,958 responses were obtained, and out of the total responses, 5,555 (79.83%) indicated a choice for a job title that included the word 'analyst' as the preferred alternative. The survey results showed that "Diagnostic Laboratory Analyst" was the most preferred alternative selected by the largest proportion of respondents (2,417 responses, 34.73%), followed by "Clinical Laboratory Analyst" (1,710 responses, 24.57%), "Biomedical Pathology Technologist" (758 responses, 10.89%), "Biomedical Analyst" (730 responses, 10.49%), "Biomedical Laboratory Analyst" (730 responses, 10.03%), and "Clinical Laboratory Scientist" (646 responses, 9.26%). Therefore, based on the responses of the surveyed members, results of consultation and literature review, the Standard Classification of Occupations (SCO), and the current status of the job titles used in major countries, it is suggested that the occupational title of medical technologists should be changed by adopting "Diagnostic Laboratory Analyst", "Biomedical Laboratory Analyst", or "Biomedical Analyst" as their new official job title.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.477-488
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• 2017

This study presents a discussion on the biomedical laboratory science (formally clinical laboratory science or medical laboratory science) with the identity of biomedical laboratory science, as well as the academic classification system for systematic approach. The field of biomedical laboratory science is not registered in the academic research area classification system of the National Research Foundation of Korea. Since the inception of the first department of biomedical laboratory science in 1963, about 52 departments were since established. Despite the scientific identity, biomedical laboratory science have not been acknowledged professionally in most institutions. Observing the academic research area classification, the physical therapy, occupational therapy, and dental hygiene science are systematically classified and approved the identities by the authorities. This study is freshly academic area classification system of the biomedical laboratory science. The contents of this study are summarized as follows. The medical laboratory technologist's discipline is considered within the medical and science category, clinical pathology in class, and biomedical laboratory science in division. Sections of biomedical laboratory science include hematology, transfusionology, immunology, biochemistry, microbiology, parasitology, science, molecular biology, histology, cytology, cardiopulmonary physiology, and neurophysiology.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.83-89
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• 2020

There is a noticeable gap in the personnel structures of clinical laboratories between North Korea and South Korea. In North Korea, 'Laboratory Doctor' is similar to the workforce of 'Medical Technologist (commonly known as Clinical Laboratory Technologist or Medical Laboratory Scientist)' in South Korea. Considering preceding research based on the verbal evidence of North Korean healthcare personnel defectors, it is estimated that the status of laboratory doctor in North Korea generally corresponds to physician and feldsher (such as physician assistant in Western countries). Physicians and feldshers are trained and fostered for five and a half years in medical universities and for three years in medical vocational schools (so-called junior college of medicine). Unlike South Korea, the North Korea's healthcare personnel system does not subdivide the tasks, education, qualifications and law regarding the specialties of health experts. It is thought that the Korean Association of Medical Technologists needs to collaboratively search and present the milestones for establishment of a professional system on clinical laboratory personnel in North Korea through cooperative research on policies with the related organizations for better preparation of the unification of the Korean Peninsula.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.178-183
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• 2012

We investigated the latest trend of u-Health and relations with clinical technologist. Since 2000, Korea has become an aging society. Korea will become an aged society by 2018, and it is expected to enter the ultra-high aged society by 2026. Increase in over 65 years population means that the desire of medical service and care demand for the elderly is greatly required. In addition, many predicted Korean national health insurance would falter financially. Medical suppression policies and regulations are also amended continuously. U-Health based on the IT industry and development of related technologies and industries contains the variety concepts of telemedicine, telehealth, e-health, u-healthcare and POCT. Especially, the use of POCT supplied quick clinical examination is extending steadily in medical center and hospital, which will generate the field friction between nurses and medical technologists. In the transition situation from provider-centric service to consumer-driven health care system, this study recommended the principal role and correspondence of clinical laboratory workers and offered information about changes in healthcare market and the basic concept of expert system, measurement and the diagnosis principle to clinical technicians throughout the investigation of the recent research and government policy trends.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.495-499
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• 2004

Because the education system that based on objective data is needed for the beginning technologists in the department of medicine laboratory, development of the CAI system based on Gram-Stain images is needed in clinical microbiology field. So, in this study, we implemented CAI system based on Gram-Stain images for medical technologists under Web using multimedia toolbook. Because this system is implemented under Web, more and more beginning technologists can have a remote-education beyond time and space, can save human power and time that needed due to hold in common of educational information, and cannot learn mistaken microbiology images because of learning execution based on objective data. Also, implemented system brings a higher interest and a learning effect to medical technologies because of hyper-media method that offered from toolbook. In the future, it will be needed a continuous acceptance of changing knowledge and it will be useful system for technologist in case of applying various examinations based Gram-Stain method of this study.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.158-163
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• 2020

This study examines and presents reasonable improvement measures for the operation and revision of the relative value scoring system, and the basis for performance of a medical technologist. Seven hospitals were enrolled in the study, and included 5 resident laboratory medicine specialists and 53 medical technologists, giving a ratio of 10.6 technologists per laboratory medicine specialist. The average of professional manpower scores was 18, and the average of each medical institution's total score was 78. Ratings and additional rates were in the range 2~3%, and quality-added ratios were 2~3%, with no significance. Excluding pathological testing and assessing physiological functions, the average number of diagnostic tests for health insurance claims were 9,618,062, including 4,378,146 points for 5% of the total relative value scores. According to the DEA, the appropriate number of medical technologist is one person per 49,974 points of relative value. In conclusion, our study results indicate that it would be desirable to set the appropriate workforce for medical technologist to one person per 50,000 points of relative value. Our data could be used as a basis for enhancing productivity of the workforce and balancing health care resources.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.48-54
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to provide fundamental data for the plans to reduce occupational stress by analyzing occupational stress of medical technologist. The experimental group comprised of 193 medical technologists working in Gyeonggi province. Occupational stress was 49.74 out of 100. In detail, job insecurity showed a high value of 64.42, followed by organizational system, lack of reward, physical environment, job demand, insufficient job control, interpersonal conflict, and occupational climate with respective values of 52.46, 52.30, 51.18, 49.57, 48.43, 39.78 and 39.77. It is recommended that those in high-stress job group increase physical activity and reduce job insecurity to improve health. The development of programs to reduce occupational stress are necessary, and this study can provide objective information using biological indicators.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.153-158
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• 2015

In order to find out a method to improve awareness of biomedical laboratory science about forensic medicine education and suggest a plan for invigoration, we carried out a survey targeting 100 students of biomedical laboratory science of Daegu Health College in Daegu region and implemented their awareness and requirement forensic medicine subject, which suggested very high awareness of most of the students about forensic medicine as a result. Out of 100 respondents, in the result of survey for students' awareness of forensic medicine, 94 (94%) answered that they were aware of it, We could find that they have high expectation from forensic medicine, and current biomedical laboratory science showed very high awareness and requirement for forensic medicine education. Therefore, rather than focusing only on core courses required for medical technologist, it is necessary to set up a program to introduce forensic subjects for expansion of professional areas and activation which can promote employment of medical technologists.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.93-104
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• 2019

This study examined the relationship between the number of medical technologists and the medical test count. Data was obtained from 441 medical technologists in a hospital through a self-reported questionnaire. The Pearson correlation test, student's t-test, ANOVA or descriptive statistics were performed for data analysis. The distribution of medical technologist according to the size of hospitals was small 5.8, medium 14.9, large 25.8, and super 45.4. The analysis demonstrated a relationship between the number of medical technologists and the number of medical tests in the field, number of clinical tests per MT, and number of optimal medical test per MT according to the hospital size (P<0.001). The average time for quality control by the department at a higher hospital was less than two hours. In terms of the satisfaction of salary, work environment, test accomplishment, and welfare service, the dissatisfaction of medical technologists in small and medium hospitals was higher than those in large and super hospitals. Overall, a focus on intensifying systemic supplementation and improving the condition of medical technologists is needed to provide reliable data for medical examinations in medical areas.