Ch. 12: Prof. Knowledge in Diagnostic Services (Slides 1-11)

Think about a time when you or a loved one had to have a diagnostic test

• What kind of test was it?

• Were you nervous? 

• How did the healthcare workers affect the way you or your loved one felt about the test?

• Workers in the diagnostic career pathway are an integral part of the healthcare system

• They work to detect medical conditions, diagnose diseases, assess health, and document a patient’s condition at a specific point in time

• Diagnostic workers are affected by concerns about costs and by recommendations regarding certain tests and screenings they perform

• Healthcare costs have risen significantly over the last few decades

  • From: $75 billion in 1970

  • To: $2.6 trillion in 2010

• Factors that increase the cost of healthcare

  • Defensive medicine

    • When healthcare providers order unnecessary tests or treatments to avoid malpractice liability.

  • The inefficiency of the healthcare system

    • Hours are wasted on paperwork and repeat tests due to poor communication between doctors.

  • Healthcare errors

    • Medical injuries and preventable infections

• Consumers (patient's) have the responsibility to practice healthy habits

• Consumers should follow through on diagnostic tests ordered by their physicians

• Doctors suggest physicals every other year for those in their 30s and 40s, and yearly for those 50+

• Being proactive about your health leads to positive outcomes.

In what ways can you practice healthy habits to be a responsible consumer?

Examples:

• Self-advocacy

• Follow through on diagnostic tests ordered by their physicians

• Financial obligation

• Exercising

• Not smoking

• Eating a healthy diet

• Laws regulating the right to practice are the most important legal requirements in the diagnostic careers pathway

  • Healthcare workers need certification, registration, or licensure to work. These allow them to practice within legal scope limits.

• Workers in this pathway are also affected by their scope of practice and safety regulations

  • They can't diagnose or choose tests—only physicians can make diagnoses and decide which tests to perform.

• Licensure

  • The strictest requirement

  • Laws vary by state

• Certification

  • Typically granted by professional organizations

• Registration

  • Voluntary for some occupations

  • American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT)

OSHA regulations to prevent work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths

• Bloodborne Pathogen Standard

  • Designed to protect employees who are at risk of being exposed to blood and other potentially infectious materials

    • Pathogens are known as disease-causing microorganisms

• Federal Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act

• Medical Waste Tracking Act

• Hazard Communication Standard (HCS)

• Safety Data Sheet (SDS)

  • Must be readily accessible to employees in the work area where it is needed.

• Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA)

Occupational exposure

• Term for the reasonable expectation for contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials during the performance of job duties

What information does and Safety Data Sheet (SDS) contain?

• Identification of the product, its manufacturer, and recommended uses and restrictions

• A statement of the physical and health hazards the substance poses

• Legally allowed exposure limits and PPE for the substance

• Emergency and first aid procedures to use if someone is exposed to the hazardous substance

• Handling and storage precautions

• A statement of whether any chemical in the product is carcinogenic (cancer-causing) or toxic (poisonous), including routes of exposure and related symptoms

• Patient privacy should be respected

  • During procedures

  • When sharing test results

• Improving access to diagnostic tests for people in rural or low-income areas is important because healthcare there is often outdated and harder to reach. This creates unequal care.