Lab Business Magazine Featured Article
"An Immediate Shortage"
By: Jason Hagerman
In October 2005, Eastern Health, the largest health authority in Newfoundland and Labrador, suspended testing of tissue samples from breast cancer patients at its St. John’s histology laboratory after it discovered that a patient received the wrong diagnosis as a result of a botched tissue test.
By May 2007, Eastern Health found itself the target of a massive class action lawsuit. The provincial government’s response—a commission led by Justice Margaret Cameron—produced a report that identified failings at every level of the pathology lab, particularly with how the pathologists performed tests. Quality control measures were not enforced. Accountability in the lab was almost non-existent.
The debacle at Eastern Health left many Canadians uneasy and exposed the anemic state of many of Canada’s under-staffed and ill-managed pathology labs.
Too Few Staff:
The Cameron Report highlighted the central failing of the Eastern Health lab—the lack of competent laboratory staff.
The shortage of lab workers isn’t particular to Newfoundland and Labrador.
“Some provinces experience less of a shortage than others and labs that are close to a university or affiliated with one tend to be better staffed, but there is still a relative shortage in all of Canada,” says Dr. Serge Jothy, chief of the Department of Medicine at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.
The department of medicine at St. Mike’s is equal parts pathology, microbiology, hematology, biochemistry and blood bank. It is well equipped, affiliated with the largest university in Canada—and understaffed. The chemistry lab is one person short, as is the hematology lab. Pathology, where Eastern Health caused so much trauma to so many people, is sufficiently staffed, but this is not so common.
“Impending retirements threaten to leave many labs with shortages of qualified laboratory professionals,” says Christine Nielsen, Executive Director of the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science. And pathology labs are in staff level turmoil in particular.
According to the Canadian Association of Pathologists, the shortage demand for pathologists is growing due to a steadily increasing workload. A general increase of the number of cancer specimens due to an aging population and increases in cancer screening means pathologists are stretched thin. Cancer report requirements are increasing in complexity and quality assurance is increasingly critical.
“We are experiencing a relative decrease in pathologists,” says Dr. Laurette Geldenhuys, President of the Canadian Association of Pathologists. “The increase in the number of non-pathologist physicians generating pathology specimens, such as oncologists, is greater than the increase in the number of pathologists.”
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"An Immediate Shortage"
By: Jason Hagerman
In October 2005, Eastern Health, the largest health authority in Newfoundland and Labrador, suspended testing of tissue samples from breast cancer patients at its St. John’s histology laboratory after it discovered that a patient received the wrong diagnosis as a result of a botched tissue test.
By May 2007, Eastern Health found itself the target of a massive class action lawsuit. The provincial government’s response—a commission led by Justice Margaret Cameron—produced a report that identified failings at every level of the pathology lab, particularly with how the pathologists performed tests. Quality control measures were not enforced. Accountability in the lab was almost non-existent.
The debacle at Eastern Health left many Canadians uneasy and exposed the anemic state of many of Canada’s under-staffed and ill-managed pathology labs.
Too Few Staff:
The Cameron Report highlighted the central failing of the Eastern Health lab—the lack of competent laboratory staff.
The shortage of lab workers isn’t particular to Newfoundland and Labrador.
“Some provinces experience less of a shortage than others and labs that are close to a university or affiliated with one tend to be better staffed, but there is still a relative shortage in all of Canada,” says Dr. Serge Jothy, chief of the Department of Medicine at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.
The department of medicine at St. Mike’s is equal parts pathology, microbiology, hematology, biochemistry and blood bank. It is well equipped, affiliated with the largest university in Canada—and understaffed. The chemistry lab is one person short, as is the hematology lab. Pathology, where Eastern Health caused so much trauma to so many people, is sufficiently staffed, but this is not so common.
“Impending retirements threaten to leave many labs with shortages of qualified laboratory professionals,” says Christine Nielsen, Executive Director of the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science. And pathology labs are in staff level turmoil in particular.
According to the Canadian Association of Pathologists, the shortage demand for pathologists is growing due to a steadily increasing workload. A general increase of the number of cancer specimens due to an aging population and increases in cancer screening means pathologists are stretched thin. Cancer report requirements are increasing in complexity and quality assurance is increasingly critical.
“We are experiencing a relative decrease in pathologists,” says Dr. Laurette Geldenhuys, President of the Canadian Association of Pathologists. “The increase in the number of non-pathologist physicians generating pathology specimens, such as oncologists, is greater than the increase in the number of pathologists.”
CLICK HERE TO READ FULL ARTICLE:
