The Medical Assistant’s Role in the Clinical Laboratory PPT

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Introduction:

The final presentation for this course will require students to showcase their knowledge on clinical laboratory personnel, their role in patient care, and the medical assistant’s role in coordinating laboratory tests and results. The project should have no less than 10 slides and no more than 15 slides. The first slide must include the chosen topic, student name, instructor name, and due date. The last slide should list all the library sources used in APA format. The following are the questions and their answers that should be included in the presentation.

Question 1: Discuss the purpose of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment, a statute added to the Public Health Services Act. (Slide 2/Page 2)

Answer: The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) were enacted by the federal government to establish quality standards for all clinical laboratory testing to ensure the accuracy, reliability, and timeliness of patient test results, regardless of where the test was performed. This amendment regulates clinical laboratories that perform diagnostic testing on human specimens for the assessment of health or disease.

Question 2: Discuss the role of clinical laboratory personnel in patient care and the medical assistant’s role in coordinating laboratory tests and results. (Slide 3/Page 3)

Answer: Clinical laboratory personnel play a crucial role in patient care by performing diagnostic tests that aid in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of medical conditions. At the same time, the medical assistant plays a crucial role in coordinating laboratory tests and results with the provider, ensuring that tests are conducted and results are recorded accurately.

Question 3: Describe the divisions/departments of the clinical laboratory. (Slide 4/Page 4 & Slide 5/Page 5)

Answer: The clinical laboratory is divided into various sections, including the chemistry laboratory, hematology laboratory, microbiology laboratory, blood bank, and histology laboratory. Each department has unique responsibilities, including analyzing samples of blood, urine, and other bodily fluids, testing for diseases and infections, and preparing tissue samples for examination.

Question 4: Prepare a chart of the differences between CLIA-waived tests and moderate-to-high complexity tests, including the personnel who are required to perform these tests. (Slide 5/Page 5)

Answer: CLIA-waived tests are simple, low-risk tests that can be performed by trained individuals with minimal education, while moderate-to-high complexity tests are more advanced tests that can only be performed by trained professionals with specialized education and certification.

Question 5: Discuss the purpose of a Safety Data Sheet (SDS), and summarize safety techniques to minimize physical, chemical, and biological hazards in the clinical laboratory. (Slide 6/Page 6)

Answer: Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) are essential tools that contain information on the physical, chemical, and biological hazards of chemicals used in laboratories. The SDS provides instructions on how to safely handle, use, store, and dispose of chemicals. To minimize physical, chemical, and biological hazards, laboratory personnel should wear personal protective equipment, follow established safety protocols, and be adequately trained on laboratory safety.

Question 6: Discuss specimen collection, including the importance of sensitivity to patients’ rights and feelings when collecting specimens. (Slide 7/Page 7)

Answer: Specimen collection is a crucial aspect of laboratory testing that involves the collection of various samples, such as blood and urine, for analysis. It is essential to be sensitive to patients’ rights and feelings when collecting specimens, to ensure that the process is comfortable for the patient and that the specimen collected is of the highest quality.

Question 7: Discuss the Affordable Care Act’s effect on patient healthcare access as it pertains to laboratory services, refer to chapter 12, page 255 of your Kinn’s textbook. (Slide 8/Page 8)

Answer: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) aims to improve access to care for all individuals in the United States, including laboratory services. The ACA provides coverage for preventative services, including laboratory testing, and mandates the inclusion of essential health benefits in all health plans.

Question 8: What universal precautions should be used? (Slide 9/Page 9)

Answer: Universal precautions aim to limit the spread of infectious diseases by treating all patients and specimens as if they are potentially infectious. Examples of universal precautions include hand hygiene, the use of personal protective equipment, and proper disposal of contaminated materials.

Question 9: Explain the chain of custody of a specimen, why it is important, and the process of documentation. (Slide 10/Page 10)

Answer: The chain of custody is the process of tracking a specimen from collection to the laboratory and through analysis. It is important because it ensures the integrity of the specimen, and the documentation process includes information such as patient name, date and time of collection, type of specimen collected, and the name of the person who collected the specimen.

Question 10: Discuss quality assurance, what leads to contamination, and how to prevent contamination. (Slide 11/Page 11)

Answer: Quality assurance is crucial to the success of laboratory testing by ensuring accurate and reliable results. Contamination can lead to inaccurate results, which can be detrimental to patient care. Preventing contamination requires strict adherence to established protocols, maintaining a clean and organized laboratory environment, and ensuring personnel are adequately trained.

Question 11: How would you explain the difference between qualitative and quantitative results to a patient? Include an example of each. (Slide 12/Page 12)

Answer: Qualitative results provide a “yes” or “no” answer, indicating whether a certain condition or disease is present. An example of a qualitative result is a pregnancy test. Quantitative results measure the amount of a substance present, providing a specific number or range. An example of a quantitative result is the measurement of blood glucose levels in a patient with diabetes.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the final presentation for this course is designed to test your knowledge of clinical laboratory personnel and laboratory testing. It is essential to understand the role of the clinical laboratory personnel in patient care, the importance of safety measures, and the implications of laboratory results on patient care. Finally, it is crucial to be familiar with the chain of custody of a specimen, the process of quality assurance, and the difference between qualitative and quantitative results.