Search

Veterinary diagnostic test kits are used in clinical practice and production medicine as a basis for prescribing vaccination and/or treatment regimens. These kits are also used by state and federal animal health officials to control or regulate the movement of animals. The regulation of such kits, which generally takes the form of establishing requirements for licensure, ensures that the kits conform to minimum standards for sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility. To qualify for licensing, diagnostic test kits should have consistent performance characteristics.

This paper describes the development and implementation of a new evaluation format for assessing professional attitudes in medical laboratory technology students--the performance appraisal. This tool measures attitudes considered desirable in the ¿ideal technologist¿, and links the presence or absence of these attitudes to behaviors which can be observed in the student. The performance appraisal functions not only as an evaluation instrument for instructors, but as a learning tool for students, who can identify behavioral objectives, assess their own progress, and set goals and strategies for development of professional attitudes. Details regarding the administration of the evaluation instrument, such as rating scales, remedial planning, and responsibilities of faculty, clinical coordinators, and students are presented. In addition, controversies regarding the evaluation of professional attitudes are discussed, including: optimizing instructor objectivity; timing and grading of evaluations; forwarding of evaluations from one instructor to another; identification of mandatory and desirable attitudes; and criterion referencing of objectives. Plans for future development of the system are included.

With the addition of the proposed Certificate of Continuing Professional Studies (CCPS) which has not yet been implemented, the Society will have developed an open-ended career ladder for medical laboratory technologists. Moving from one step to the next may entail a return to school; it will certainly entail hard work and commitment. There are no barriers to prevent a motivated individual from progressing up the ladder. The ladder is illustrated in diagrammatic form below. The shaded areas represent the elements that are not yet in place.

Medical laboratory technologists routinely conduct alcohol analyses for medical purposes, however, in certain circumstances the results are used legally to determine a driver's Blood Alcohol Concentration. The technologist who performed the analysis may subsequently be required to provide evidence in court. The primary areas of interest to the court in these cases are: the type of swab utilized, the continuity of the blood sample, the method of analysis, the margin of error of the results, and the conversion of a serum alcohol concentration to a blood alcohol concentration in units as per the Criminal Code. Pre-trial preparation, courtroom procedures, and suggestions to enhance the technologist's credibility as a professional witness are outlined.

The CSLT Board feels that it has developed a structure that will allow it to deal with provincial regulatory bodies as they develop while continuing to cooperate with provincial societies. It has accepted that there will be significant changes in the role of the CSLT, particularly in the area of credentialing. The primary concern of the CSLT is national standards and portability of certification. The Board is committed to responding to the changes brought about through provincial regulatory legislation and to working with the bodies designated under this legislation to preserve national certification.

The certification of foreign-trained technologists is a very sensitive issue, and the CSLT must proceed with caution in making changes to the system. The policy cannot afford to be too lenient, lest in this litigation-conscious climate an incident were to occur that could undermine the credibility of the certification process. On the other hand, it must not be protectionist and discriminatory. If the labour market does become undersupplied with medical technologists, employers in non-regulated provinces may choose to replace their ranks with non-CSLT-certified employees. If this were to happen to a significant degree, employers might come to rely less and less on the CSLT's stamp of approval. In either case, the value of the CSLT, and the RT itself, is at risk.