Clinical Laboratory
Science as a
Career

In this country, five billion laboratory tests are performed annually.  These tests range from a simple premarital blood test to complex procedures to detect and monitor diseases such as diabetes and cancer.  Physicians use these results to diagnose abnormal conditions, prescribe therapies and evaluate their treatments.  A mistake or incorrect data at this level of care could be life threatening, or at the very least, have a significant negative financial impact on the patient or the health care system.  It is often impossible for a physician to detect an error in laboratory data using only his or her training, since in most instances, this training does not include specific courses in the theory, troubleshooting or performance of laboratory tests.

Even the simplest "kit" procedures for pregnancy and blood sugar available in stores contain within their directions the warning that if an unexpected result occurs, or if the user experiences problems in any way, the result may not be right, and a trained professional needs to be consulted.  This acknowledges that written directions cannot possibly cover every conceivable event when dealing with the human body and all potential disease situations.  Therefore, the greatest confidence about a laboratory result comes when it is performed by laboratory personnel who are trained, educated and have demonstrated skills in relating laboratory information to disease.  They must be able to discriminate between subtle instrument or test system malfunctions and valid patient data indicating a disease state.  Such formal training is currently available in every state in this country through nationally accredited programs in hospitals, community colleges and universities.