Defining the Practice of the

Medical Technology/Clinical
Laboratory Science
Professional
Presented by:
Charmaine Gellieann R. Magsino, RMT
Faculty, Medical Technology Department
Learning Outcomes:
1. Discuss the practice of medical technology focusing
on the nature of the profession in relation to the
detection and diagnosis of diseases.
2. Differentiate medical technologists from other
laboratory personnel such as laboratory technicians,
pathologists.
Nature of Medical Technology
• In understanding the nature of medical technology it
is important to understand the connection between
science and technology.
Science

• Primarily concerned with the study of the natural

world and the interrelationship among the
biological, psychological and even the social world
Discipline in the science constantly evolved to
adapt to the needs of the human beings.
Medical Technology are highly dependent on the
developments in the scientific disciplines and areas
such as chemistry, electronics, optics and
mechanics among others, in order to develop a
utilizable biotechnology that will aid in the
diagnosis of diseases.
Technology
• Technology is the application of Science in the
ways that are considered beneficial to society.
• 3 ways to define Technology:
1. Physical artefact, machine or instrument
2. Activity or a means to accomplish goal
3. Knowledge
Rogers (1983)
“Technology is design for instrument action that
reduces the uncertainty in the cause –effect
relationship involved in achieving a desired outcomes”
Technology consists of:
Physical elements of technology: Equipment, material,
or products

Intangible elements of technology: Knowledge, skills,

procedure, principle, or information base required to
successful implement of technology.
Medical Technology
is designed to improve the detection, diagnosis,
treatment and monitoring of disease
With increasing automation and innovation in computer
technology, technologists’ work become less hand-on
and more analytical
• Clinical Laboratory Testing
• plays role in the detection, diagnosis and
treatment of diseases.

Clinical Laboratory Scientist

• perform most of laboratory test that are
involved in the examination and analysis of
body fluids tissues and cells
Roles of Clinical Laboratory Scientists
1. Look for the presence of bacteria, parasites and other
microorganisms
2. Analyze the chemical content of fluids, match blood for
transfusions
3. Test drug levels in blood to show a patient’s response to a
specific treatment.
4. Prepare specimen for examination to count cell, and look for
abnormal cell in the blood and body fluids.
5. They use microscope, cell counters and other sophisticated
laboratory equipment.
6. Use of automated equipment and computerized instruments
capable of performing a number of test simultaneously.
7. Analyzes results
Medical Technology Practice Defined:
In the Philippines the Medical Technology Profession and its
practice is governed and define in section two (2) of R.A
5527, also known as the Philippine Medical Technology Act
of1969
Section 2.a Practice of Medical Technology - A person
shall be deemed to be in the practice of medical
technology within the meaning of this act, who shall for a
fee, salary or other compensation or reward paid or given
directly or indirectly through another renders any of the
following professional services for the purpose of aiding
the physician in the diagnosis, study and treatment of
disease and in the promotion of health in general:
1. Examination of tissues 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;
2. Blood banking procedures and techniques
3. Parasitologic, mycologic and microbiologic procedures and techniques.
4. Histopathologic and cytotechnology; provided that nothing in this paragraph
shall inhibit a duly registered medical laboratory technician from performing
histopathologic techniques and procedures.
5. Clinical research involving patients or human being requiring the use of and/
or application of medical technology knowledge and procedures;
6. Preparations and standardization of reagents, standards, stains and others,
provided such reagents, standards, stains are exclusively for use of their
laboratory.
7. Clinical laboratory quality control
8. Collection and preservation of specimens
Medical Technologists’ Code of Ethics revised
version by Prof. Rodolfo Rabor:
As I enter into the practice of Medical Technology,
I shall accept the responsibilities inherent to being a professional; I shall uphold
the law and shall not engage in illegal work nor cooperate with anyone so engaged;
I shall avoid associating or being identified with any enterprise of questionable
character;
I shall work and act in a strict spirit of fairness to employer, clients, contractors,
employees and in a spirit of personal helpfulness and fraternity toward other
members of the profession;
I shall use only honorable means of competition for professional employment or
services and shall refrain form unfairly injuring, directly or indirectly, the
professional reputation, projects or business of a fellow medical technologist; I
shall accept employment from more than one employer only when there in no
conflict of interest;
I shall perform professional work in a manner that merits full
confidence and trust carried out with absolute reliability, accuracy,
fairness and honesty;
I shall review the professional work of other medical technologists,
when requested, fairly and in confidence whether they are
subordinates or employees, authors of proposals for grants or
contracts, authors of technical papers or other publications or involved
in litigation;
 I shall advance the profession by exchanging general information and
experience with fellow medical technologists and other professionals
and by contributing to the work of professional organizations;
I shall restrict my praises, criticisms, views and opinions within
constructive limits and shall not use the knowledge I know for selfish
ends;
✓ I shall treat any information I acquired about individuals in the course
of my work as strictly confidential, and may be divulged only to
authorized persons or entities or with consent of the individual when
necessary;
✓ I shall report any infractions of these principles of professional
conduct to the authorities responsible for the enforcement of applicable
laws or regulations, or to the Ethics Committee of the Philippines
Association of may be appropriate. Medical Technologists as may be
appropriate.
To these principles, I hereby subscribe and pledge to conduct myself at
all times in a manner befitting the dignity of my profession.
• The original version of the medical technology code of ethics was
written by Dr. Nardito Moraleta
Roles and Responsibilities of Medical Technology
Professionals:
• Perform Clinical Laboratory Testing:
- A graduate of Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology/ Medical Laboratory Science is
expected to show competency in performing routine laboratory tests including urinalysis
and stool examination.
- Capable of performing hematologic, microbiologic, serologic, chemical, and other
procedures in different areas of laboratory science.
• Perform Special Procedures:
- Medical technologists are also expected to perform special procedures. Special procedures
can also include molecular and nuclear diagnostics.
• Ensure Accuracy and Precision of Results:
- In performing different procedures to diagnose diseases, some medical technologists
should always be conscious of the accuracy and precision of both the testing process and its
results. Accuracy and precision impacts the interpretation of results by the physician to
provide proper medication in the treatment of disease.
• Be Honest in Practice
- A practicing medical technologists, like other professional, is expected to be honest in the
practice of his or her work. It is important that a medical technologist’s values honesty,
particularly in conveying or reporting the results of any laboratory procedure.
• Ensure Timely Delivery of Results
- Medical technologists must be aware of urgency of delivering results on time especially in cases
that require urgent treatment. There are time when physician will request laboratory tests which
require immediate actions. One should take notation on “STAT” or even observe the source of
the requests (from ER or OR).
• Demonstrate Professionalism
- He or she is aware of the laws and regulations governing the practice of medical technology
and should not exploit its function beyond its boundaries.
- In the Philippines, the practice of medical technology profession is governed by R.A. 5527 or
the Philippine Medical Technology Act 1969. Other governing regulations are supplemented by
the Clinical Laboratory Act of 1966 (R.A. 4688) and the Blood Banking act of 1956 (R.A 1517).
National organizations such as the Philippine Association of Medical Technologists, Inc.
(PAMET) and the Philippine Association of Schools of Medical technology and Public Health
(PASMETH) also have their own constitution and by-laws in accordance with the governing
laws and code of ethics.
• Uphold Confidentiality
- Ensuring confidentiality of patient’s information is one of the core duties
within the medical practice. Confidentiality requires health care providers to
keep a patient’s personal health information private unless the patient
consents to release the information.
• Collaborate with other Health Care Professionals
- A medical technology professional is required to collaborate with other
health care practitioner in order to build a well-functioning team.
• Conduct Research
- Practicing medical technologists must be engaged in research activities to
update their skills. Research works, whether experimental or descriptive can
contribute significantly to the discovery of new knowledge in the field of
medical technology and in assessing and revisiting already known ones. It
can be great help in the further development of the field and may be used
as future reference for patient care.
Involvement in Health Promotion
Programs:
Medical Technology is a multi-disciplinary field which consistently ventures into other areas
of health care including health promotion. A medical technology professional must be
actively involved in reaching out to the community.
• There are many ways by which the medical technology profession can help improve the
lives of people.
The following are some ways that medical technology professional can help the community.
1. Cooperate with other health care professional in health promotion campaigns such as
promoting ideal attitudes on hygiene, community sanitation, waste segregation and
disease prevention.
2. Implement pre-planned programs of health promotion campaign
3. Offer free laboratory testing such as blood typing, urinalysis, fecalysis, blood sugar,
testing, cholesterol testing, and other tests beneficial to the entire community
4. Collaborate with other health care professionals once diagnoses are done.
Defining The Practice of Other Laboratory
Personnel
Pathologists:
- As Defined in R.A 5527: A pathologist is a duly registered physician
who is specially trained in method of laboratory medicine, or the gross
and microscopic study and interpretation of tissues, secretions and
excretion of the human body and its function in order to diagnose
disease, follow its course, determine the effectivity of treatment,
ascertain cause of death, and advance medicine by means of research.
- A pathologist is always considered the head a clinical laboratory and
monitor all laboratory results. A laboratory result without the signature
of a pathologists may not be considered valid.
• Medical Laboratory Technicians
- As define in R.A 5527: A medical technology technician is a person
certified by and registered with the Board of Medical Technology and
qualified to assist a medical technologist and /or qualified pathologists
in the practice of medical technology as defined in the aforementioned
act.
Qualifications:
1. Failed to pass the medical technology licensure examination given by
the Board of Medical Technology but obtained a general rating of at
least 70% and provided finally that a registered medical laboratory
technician when employed in the government shall have the
equivalent civil service eligibility not lower the second grade.
2. Passed the civil service examination for medical technicians given on
March 21, 1969
3. Finished a two years’ college course and has at least one (1) year
experience of working as a medical laboratory technician, two (2)
years of work experience may be substituted; and provided further
that the applicant has at least ten (10) years of experience as medical
laboratory technician as of the date of approval of this decree.
• Phlebotomists:
- is an individual trained to draw blood either for laboratory test or for blood
donations.
- Performs skin puncture for small amount of blood collection and
venipunctures for larger volumes .
• Cytotechnologists:
- Cytotechnologists is laboratory personnel who works with the pathologists
to detect changes in body cells which may be important in the early
diagnosis of disease.
- This is primarily done by examining microscopic slides of body cells for
abnormalities or anomalies in structure either benign or malignant condition
- Pappanicolaou (Pap) Test and H&E – most commonly used staining
techniques in Cytology
• Histotechnologists:
- Also referred as histotechnician, is a laboratory personnel responsible for a
routine preparation, processing and staining of biopsies and tissue
specimens for microscopic examination by a pathologists
- In United States, one can complete the histotechnician program accredited
by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS)
• Nuclear Medical Technologists:
- It is a medical technology professional who works alongside nuclear
physician. Nuclear medical technologist apply their knowledge of radiation
physics and safety regulations to limit radiation exposure, prepare and
administer radiopharmaceuticals and use radiation detection devices and
other kind of laboratory equipment that measure the quality and distribution
of radionuclides deposited in the patient or in the patient’s specimen.
• Toxicologists:
• studies and effects of toxic substances on the physiological functions of
human being, animals, and plants to develop data for use in consumer
protection and industrial safety programs.
• He or she also designed and conducts studies to determine
physiological effects of various substances on the laboratory animals,
plants, and human tissue using biological and biochemical techniques.