Medical and public health laboratories must also work to integrate communication across multiple external and internal agencies / people from a single point of data entry ( for example , a laboratory information system that can talk to local , county , state , national and perhaps global systems to deliver patient results in real-time ).” ing topics that may or may not be related to current issues could encourage all concerned to expand their knowledge base and understanding of potential outbreaks .”
To that end , clinical microbiologists have a unique and privileged viewpoint of the next pandemic and the importance of preparedness now .
“ I have more urgent view of this issue , since I spent the first decade of my career in public health in a hybrid role as a molecular epidemiologist working between the microbiology / molecular bench and in the Zoonosis Control Division in the field doing surveillance and human case work-ups ,” Rohde explains . “ I believe the medical laboratory must look at the local level now with global eyes . A One Health perspective is the new framework where animal / plant health + environmental health + human health = One Health .”
Rohde continues , “ From a practical standpoint , medical laboratory leaders must change in fundamental ways . For example , we can no longer sign long-term vendor contracts with laboratory suppliers for our raw materials . That practice must end . If COVID-19 taught us nothing else , we must understand that the medical and public health laboratory must now utilize multiple vendors across a diverse array of assays , equipment and supplies to protect us more broadly against the supply chain issue for raw materials . Medical and public health laboratories must also work to integrate communication across multiple external and internal agencies / people from a single point of data entry ( for example , a laboratory information system that can talk to local , county , state , national and perhaps global systems to deliver patient results in real-time ). Laboratories must prepare for Big Data analysis and the onboarding of high throughput capability utilizing state-of-the-art molecular / genomic / proteonomic tools like whole genome sequencing , CRISPR , next-generation sequencing , and wastewater surveillance of microbial detection . The medical / clinical laboratory must plan now for cross-training of personnel due to dangerous and
ongoing staffing shortages , including how to assist medical laboratory educational programs for clinical site / affiliation support to increase recruitment of future professionals . Likewise , there is a need for salary increases , flexible staffing to meet the new professional ’ s view on work / life balance , tuition assistance with both debt and new degrees , and other attractive benefits for the multi-generational workforce . The medical laboratory must also work with the CDC ’ s Laboratory Response Network and other entities regarding desktop simulations for all these issues ( staffing , supply chain , funding , automation , pivoting to onboarding of new testing platforms , etc .) now , not later .”
Pearce emphasizes that “ Clinical laboratories must establish policies and procedures , beyond addressing regulatory compliance issues , that are based on collaboration , research , history , Koch ’ s Postulates and avoid reliance on social media and undocumented , unscientific and inaccurate hype .”
References :
American Clinical Laboratory Association ( ACLA ). The Value of Clinical Laboratories : Supporting Patient Health & Medical Innovation . Undated .
Catalán P , Alonso R , et al . The challenge of COVID-19 for a Clinical Microbiology Department . Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis . 2021 Oct ; 101 ( 2 ): 115426 . doi : 10.1016 / j . diagmicrobio . 2021.115426
Miller JM , Binnicker MJ , et al . A Guide to Utilization of the Microbiology Laboratory for Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases : 2018 Update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American Society for Microbiology . Clin Infect Dis . Vol . 67 , No . 6 . Pages e1-e94 . August 31 , 2018 .
https :// doi . org / 10.1093 / cid / ciy381
Pence MA and Liesman R . Clinical microbiology . Published online 2020 Jun 19 . doi : 10.1016 / B978-0-12-815499-1.00055-7 . PMCID : PMC7303905