LESSON 2: DEFINING THE PRACTICE OF MT PROFESSION

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY

➢ systematic enterprise that builds and ➢ application of science in ways that are
organizes knowledge in the form of considered beneficial to our society
testable explanations and predictions technology
about the social world, and even the ➢ Can be defined in 3 ways:
universe 1. Physical artifact / Machine /
Instrument
➢ disciplines in the sciences constantly 2. Activity / Means to accomplish a goal
evolve to adapt to the changing needs 3. Knowledge
of the human beings
TLDR. technology is science or knowledge that is
➢ Galileo Galilei is the father of modern
put into practical use to solve problems or invent
science
useful tools.

It is an avenue for humans to alter or modify the

environment to extend their abilities to create,
intent, discover, or innovate to make the world a
better place to live in
MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY
➢ Is designed to improve the detection
diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of diseases
➢ the application of science to develop solutions to health problems or issues such as the prevention or
delay of onset of diseases or the promotion and monitoring of good health
 Clinical Laboratory
- Lab testing plays a crucial role in the detection diagnosis and treatment of diseases
- Clinical lab scientists / Medical Technologists perform most of these lab tests
- They are also involved in the examination and analysis of body fluids, tissues,
and cells
MEDICAL TECHNOLOGISTS
I. Usually look for the presence of bacteria, parasites, and other microorganisms in the body
II. Analyze the chemical contents of fluids
III. Match blood for transfusions
IV. Test for drug levels in the blood to show a patient's response to a specific treatment
V. Prepare specimens for examinations
VI. Count cells and look for abnormal cells in the blood and other body fluids
VII. Use microscopes, cell counters, and other sophisticated laboratory equipment
VIII. Use automated equipment and computerized instruments capable of performing a number of tests
simultaneously.

Finally: After testing and examining a specimen laboratory scientists analyze the
results and relay them to physicians.
ANNA P. FAGELSON
Defines medical technology as:
“A branch of medicine concerned with the performance of
laboratory determinations and analyses used in the diagnosis and
treatment of the disease and the maintenance of health.”

RUTH I. HEINEMANN
Defines medical technology as:
“The application of principles of natural, physical, and biological
sciences to the performance of laboratory procedures which aid in
the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.”

JEANNE M. CLERC
Defines medical technology as:
“A profession concerned with providing information based on
the performance of analytical tests on human body substances to
detect evidence of or prevent disease or impairment and to promote
and monitor good health.”

NORMA J. WALTERS
Defines medical technology as:
“A health profession concerned with performing lab analyses in
view of obtaining information necessary in the diagnosis and
treatment of diseases as well as in the maintenance of good health.”

TLDR. Medical technology focuses on the diagnosis and the treatment of the
disease and of course to maintain good health.

Medical technology as defined by the Philippine Government

➢ Is govern and defined in Section 2 of the Republic Act No.5527 (also known as the Medical
Technology Act of 1969)
“An auxiliary branch of laboratory medicine which deals with the
examination of various chemical, microscopic, bacteriologic, and other
medical laboratory procedures or techniques which will aid the
physician in the diagnosis, study and treatment of disease and in the
promotion of health in general.”

➢ In practicing medical technology, a person shall be deemed to be in the practice of medical

technology within the meaning of this act. They shall (for a fee, salary, or other compensation, or
reward paid or given directly or indirectly through another) render any of the following professional
services for the purposes of aiding the physician in the diagnosis, study, and treatment of diseases
and in the promotion of health in general.
PRACTICE OF MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY
➢ Medical technologists do:
I. Examination of tissue, secretions and excretions of the human body and body fluids
by various electronic, chemical, microscopic, bacteriologic, hematologic, serologic,
immunologic, nuclear and other laboratory procedures and techniques either manual
or automated
II. Blood Banking Procedures and techniques
III. Parasitologic, Mycologic and Microbiologic procedures and techniques
IV. Histopathologic and Cytotechnology
 provided that nothing in this paragraph shall inhibit a duly registered medical
laboratory technician from performing histopathologic techniques and
procedures
V. Clinical Research involving patients or human beings requiring the use of and / or
application of medical technology knowledge and procedures.
VI. Preparations and standardization of reagents, standards, stains and others, provided
that these reagents, standards and others are exclusively for the use of the
laboratory
VII. Clinical laboratory quality control
VIII. Collection and preservation of specimens

Qualifications for Med Tech

▪ Must possess a bachelor’s degree in Medical
Technology Code of Ethics
▪ Must be licensed as practicing without one is a
states that the medical technology
crime
professional should accept the responsibilities
▪ At least 1-2 years of experience.
inherent to being a professional and shall not
▪ Medical Technology practice must be in
engage in any illegal activities
accordance with the Med Tech code of ethics.

While taking the oath (code of ethics):

One must stand upright with

OR Stand upright with palms
one palm facing outward
facing out and arms at the
and one hand on chest
sides.

SYNONYMS OF MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

➢ It is expected that there are different names that can exist which refers to the practice of medical
technology
➢ This includes countries, states, and professional organizations using different terms that still
denotes the same thing or field or activity
▪ Medical Laboratory Technology
 - In India they use the term to refer to a 3 year degree
▪ Medical Laboratory Science
- Philippines adopted this term after CHED memorandum Order No. 14 (2005)
- Australia uses the term to refer to those working in a clinical lab as “Medical
Laboratory Scientists”
▪ Clinical Laboratory Science
- United States (state of California) offers a certification to laboratory practitioners.
 There is another organization called, American Society for Clinical
Laboratory Science (ASCLS)
▪ Biomedical Science
International non-profit - Commonly used in Europe (UK, Germany, Italy, Belgium)
organization of European societies  European Association of Professionals in Biomedical Science.
of laboratory professionals

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES OF MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONALS

➢ Medical technology is a rapidly advancing discipline and profession
➢ The role of medical technology professionals in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases is very crucial
in healthcare practice
o Ex. During the pandemic, medical technology practices were used (i.e. swabbing and in defining
and giving confirmation if the patient is COVID19 positive or not)

Routine Lab tests:

I. Perform Clinical Laboratory Tests
• Urinalysis
▪ must be capable of performing the most basic  most advanced • Stool examination
▪ Troubleshooting of CBC urinalysis, Requires special • Hematologic
instrumentation in the lab Stool training: • Microbiologic
examinations Ex. Lupus panel, • Serologic
G6PD testing • Chemical
procedures
II. Perform Special Procedures in the lab
▪ Operation of advanced diagnostic equipment
 During this time of pandemic, med techs are trained for molecular and nuclear
diagnostics such as RT-PCR
 They are also trained other molecular biology techniques and procedures

III. Ensure Accuracy & Precision of results

▪ Impacts the interpretation of results by the physician to provide proper medication in the
treatment of diseases
ACCURACY PRECISION

➢ degree to which the result of a measurement ➢ closeness of the data or two or more
conforms to the correct or true value measurements to one another
Ex. Accurate is the moment when you hit the Ex. Precision is when two or more darts have
bullseye in a dart board landed close to each other in a dart board
 Usually happens when Happens when there is a
there's a problem with fluctuation of electricity that
runs through the machines in
your control (expired)
the laboratory

IV. Honesty
▪ Honest practice of work, particularly in conveying or reporting the results of any laboratory
procedure.
▪ Act according to the medical technology profession's Code of Ethics and Oath

V. Ensure Timely Delivery of results

STAT
▪ Urgency of delivering results on time, especially in cases that require
Common Medical
urgent treatment abbreviation meaning:
 Ex. Physicians will request laboratory tests which require Immediately / urgent
immediate action (Comes from the Latin word

▪ Should take note when requests are STAT* and observe the source “statim”)

(OR, ER, etc.)

▪ Must be fully alert as some lab procedures are time-bound.

VI. Professionalism
▪ Must perform their functions according to the professional Code of Ethics
▪ Should be aware of the laws and regulations: The practice of Med Tech is
governed by this
a. RA 5527 (Philippine Medical Technology Act of 1969)
b. RA 4688 (Clinical Laboratory Act of 1966)
c. RA 1517 and RA 7719 (Blood Banking Acts of 1956 and 1995)
d. PAMET (Philippine Association of Medical Technologists)
e. PASMETH (Philippine Association of Schools of Medical Technology & Public
Health)

VII. Uphold confidentiality

▪ One of the core duties within the medical practice
▪ Keep a patient's personal health information private unless the patient consents to release
the information
 ONLY EXCEPTION: during an operation or in the emergency room where the
attending physicians or nurses call the laboratory for follow-up of the patient's test
results.

VIII. Collaborate with other health care professionals

▪ Collaboration: act of working together in order to achieve a desired outcome.
 IX. Conduct Research
▪ Must be engaged in research activities to update skills
▪ Help further development of the field and may be used as future reference for patient care

X. Involvement in Health Promotion

▪ Must be actively involved in reaching out to the community.
 Ways Med Techs can help the community
1. Promote the ideal attitudes for hygiene, waste segregation, community
sanitation, and disease prevention.
2. Implement pre-planned programs of health promotion campaigns.
3. Offer free lab-testing (blood typing, urinalysis, fecalysis, and sugar testing)
4. Collaborate with other health care professionals once diagnosis are done.

DEFINING THE PRACTICE OF OTHER LAB PERSONNEL

➢ Med techs work closely with these laboratory personnel to provide accurate and precise laboratory
results.

I. Pathologist (Head of the Clinical Laboratory)

▪ A duly licensed physician who is specially trained in methods of laboratory
medicine, or the gross and microscopic study and interpretation of tissues,
secretions, and excretions of the human body and its functions in order to
diagnose disease, follow its course, determine the effectivity of treatment,
ascertain cause of death, and advance medicine by means of research.
▪ 3 Types of Pathologists
 Clinical
- oversees the blood banking, hematology microbiology clinical
chemistry, immunology and serology, and clinical microscopy sections
of the laboratory
 Anatomic
- performs autopsy, fine needle aspiration, biopsy and oversees the
histopathology section of the laboratory
 Combined clinical and anatomic

II. Medical Lab Technician

▪ Non-graduate of BSMT/BSH but passed the civil service exam
Conditions:
a. Failed to pass the med tech licensure exam ▪ Performs the work of medical technology under the supervision of
but obtained a general rating of at least a registered medical technologist and/or qualified pathologist.
70%
b. Passed the civil service exam for laboratory
technician given on March 21, 1964
c. Has finished a two-year college course &
has at least 1 year experience as medical
laboratory technician
 III. Phlebotomist
Phlebotomists must: ▪ Trained to extract blood either for laboratory tests or for blood donations.
▪ Usually work under the supervision of the medical technologist because
- Enjoy working with people
they collect blood and are at risk of exposure to a variety of diseases.
- Work well under pressure
▪ Trained in laboratory safety and must adhere to very strict policies and
- Be detail attentive
procedures
- Have excellent manual dexterity
- Have the ability to calm people
(those uneasy about needles)
- Be able to use the computer

IV. Cytotechnologist
▪ Cyto = Cell
▪ Laboratory personnel that works with the pathologist to detect changes in body
cells which may be important in the early diagnosis of diseases.
 primarily done by examining microscopic slides of body cells for
abnormalities or anomalies in structures indicating either benign or
malignant conditions
 Selects and sections minor particles of human tissue for microscopic
study using microtomes and other equipment and employ stain
techniques to make cell structures visible or to differentiate its parts
▪ Papanicolaou (Pap) test and H&E – most commonly used staining techniques

V. Histotechnologist / Histotechnician
▪ Histo = Tissue
The tissue is cut into very thin slices
▪ Technologists or technicians responsible to process tissues for
mounted on slides and stained with
microscopic study to be examined by pathologists
special dyes to make the tissue or
▪ Processes tissues removed during surgery.
cell details visible under the
microscope. ▪ No formal training offered in the Philippines, but can be accredited in the
US by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science
The tissue section is then examined
(NAACLS)
by the pathologist and released to
 Program takes 1 year to complete
the attending physician who will
▪ Not allowed to sign laboratory results released from the histopathology
decide the best course of treatment
for the patient. section of the laboratory
 only the pathologist (who performs the microscopic
examination) is allowed to sign reports released
ex. biopsy, autopsy, cell cytology, and pap smear

VI. Nuclear Medical Technologists

▪ Health care professionals who works alongside nuclear physicians
▪ Apply their knowledge of radiation physics and safety regulations to:
1. Limit radiation exposure
2. Prepare and administer radiopharmaceuticals
 3. Use radiation detection devices and other kinds of laboratory equipment
that measure the quantity and distribution of radionuclides deposited in
the patient or in the patient's specimen
▪ Radiotechnologists perform all these duties too
▪ As med techs, all we do is administer radiopharmaceuticals

VII. Toxicologist
▪ Studies the effects of toxic substances on the physiological functions of human
beings, animals and plants to develop data for use in consumer protection and
industrial safety programs.
▪ Designs and conducts studies to determine physiological effects of various
substances on laboratory animals plants and human tissue using biological and
biochemical techniques