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

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

1. Diagnostic Workers in the Healthcare system
- Cost control / Consumer responsibilities
2. Legal and Ethical Issues for diagnostic workers
- Licensure, certifications, and registration
- Bloodborne pathogens, medical waste, & hazardous chemicals
- Clinical lab testing
- Ethical Issues

Warm-Up

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?

Diagnostic Workers in the Healthcare System

• 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

Cost Control

• 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

Consumer Responsibilities

• 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.

Think Further...

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

Legal and Ethical Issues for Diagnostic Workers

• 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, Certification, and Registration

• 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)

Laws Regulating Health and Safety

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

Critical Thinking

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

Ethical Issues in Diagnostic Careers

• 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.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best describes the role of workers in the diagnostic career pathway?

• They provide long-term treatment plans and monitor patient recovery over time.

• They perform surgeries and prescribe medications to treat diseases.

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

• They assist patients with daily living activities and provide emotional support.

Multiple Choice

Why is healthcare getting more expensive?

• Doctors are seeing fewer patients

• Doctors and hospitals always share information well

• Doctors order extra tests just to avoid getting in trouble/malpractice lawsuits

• There's less paperwork now

Multiple Choice

What is one responsibility patients have when it comes to their health?

• Waiting for their doctor to call them about tests

• Skipping physicals until they feel sick

• Practicing healthy habits and getting tests their doctor recommends

• Only going to the doctor when it’s an emergency

Multiple Choice

What do diagnostic workers need in order to legally do their jobs?

• Just a high school diploma

• A recommendation from a friend

• Certification, registration, or a license

• A signed note from their patient

Multiple Choice

What is the purpose of a Safety Data Sheet (SDS)?

• To show patients their medical history

• To list prices for medical treatments

• To give important information about chemicals, their dangers, and how to handle them safely

• To explain how to use medical equipment