Medical laboratory testing plays an essential role in the early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of many diseases in patients. It is an enormous part of the healthcare industry, and yet it gets much less publicity than it deserves. The truth of the matter is that testing labs in NJ are extremely important for a patient to get monthly, quarterly or yearly physical examination.
If a patient routinely visits a testing lab to get routine physical examinations, this may allow doctors to apply a preventative treatment, which could save the patient from falling prey to a serious medical condition. In other words, lab testing is one of the first lines of defense to protect a patient’s well being.
An estimated 60 to 79 percent of all the decisions related to a patient’s diagnosis, treatment, hospital fees, and discharge are based on laboratory tests. Hence, much of a patient’s experience in the healthcare industry depends on the tests.
In this blog, I will outline the basic laboratory testing and screening procedures, so that you understand the importance of the healthcare industry, and why it is important to participate regularly in lab testing.
Lab technicians: Medical technologists, medical laboratory scientists, perform most of the laboratory tests in testing labs. These experts analyze test results such as urine tests, blood tests, etc. Furthermore, they also conduct chemical, biological, immunologic, bacteriological, and hematological tests that require keen analytical and independent judgment. Only after years of medical training, and hands-on exposure to medical analysis procedures, can a medical laboratory scientist be approved to analyze actual patients and their specimens.
Everyday Functions of a Lab Technician: Medical laboratory experts perform various duties that ensure timely, and accurate results.
Here is the list of just a few of those duties:
- Crossmatch blood for blood transfusions
- Monitor patient outcomes
- Make microscopic examination and analysis of blood, body fluids, tissues, and cells
- Identify fluids for chemical analytes, such as glucose and cholesterol
- Patient visits a doctor
- The doctor recommends lab tests
- The specimen is taken from the patient
- The specimen is transferred to a nearby clinical lab
- Tests analyze specimen and produce results
- A clinical lab provides results to doctor
- Doctor interprets results
- The doctor informs the patient of results and implications
- Diagnosis and treatment decisions are made by the doctor and patient
These are some of the basic facts you should know about testing labs in NJ. Lab Testing is the premier tool in a doctor's toolkit to identify, prevent and treat sickness and diseases. This is why it is important to you, the patient, to understand what it is, who is performing it and why you should visit it often.
