The charter of Sci.med.laboratory

Robert · medicine forum Guru Joined: 28 Apr 2005 Posts: 1700

Aug 8 15:19:37 1995

RATIONALE

There are a number of reasons for the creation of a medical
laboratory newsgroup. A sci.med.laboratory Usenet newsgroup would give
laboratory professionals (including medical technologists, laboratory
technicians, phlebotomists, laboratory managers and supervisors) a direct
way to access information from each other worldwide. Laboratory
professionals would be able to share laboratory related findings and ideas
with each other for comparison and study.

This newsgroup would also be useful to the general public, as a
way to obtain information of laboratory tests being performed on
themselves at the request of their physician.

To date, the only other newsgroups that I have found which would be
related to a sci.med.laboratory newsgroup are the sci.med newsgroup itself,
which is far to large and diverse, and the sci.med.pathology newsgroup,
which does not fully cover the interests of professionals of the clinical
laboratory. Although a pathologist is generally known as the overseer of the
laboratory, some medical institutions have moved to separate these two
groups due to their differences. In fact, there are approximately 50 times
more laboratory professionals per medical institution to pathologists.

CHARTER: sci.med.laboratory

Discussions to obtaining information about new medical laboratory
products, laboratory equipment or instrumentation that others may presently
be using or have tried, before considering for purchase. Also, laboratories
who have already gone through their own phase of new product testing and
evaluation, could notify others of their results. Comparison and discussion
of similar instrumentation and equipment already in use between labs to
advise on common problems and testing being performed on such analyzers.

Comparison and discussion of workflow and the number of tests performed
per day or per shift between laboratories to associate with their demand for
personnel. Comparison and discussion of levels of technology through
computerization and bar-coding to relate its effects on laboratory
personnel. Discussion of the division of work and structural setup, and the
comparison of assigned duties of technical and non-technical staff to assist
in increasing workflow in the medical laboratory.

Discussion of laboratory safety measures to assist in keeping within the
bounds of the O.S.H.A. (Occupational Safety and Health Association)
guidelines could also be accessed by users of this newsgroup. Information of
benefits, salary, and union vs. non-union sponsors among laboratories could
also be obtained. The levels of training and educational background
required to fill the positions in different laboratories could also be
compared, as well as the ratio of medical technologists to laboratory
technicians, as there has been talk of a changing trend in hiring practices.

Discussion from a phlebotomy standpoint of hospital laboratory
procedures performed at the patients bedside vs. in the laboratory itself
could be compared between labs. Which laboratory tests are performed on a
routine vs. a stat basis could also be compared for the purpose of creating
testing protocol. Advise on phlebotomy collection procedures and equipment
could also be obtain through this newsgroup.

The public could access laboratory professionals to inquire about the
meaning and relationship of those tests their physician has ordered.

ftp://ftp.uu.net/usenet/news.announce.newgroups/sci/sci.med.laboratory

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