• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2019

The names of medical technologist in Korea, Japan, and the United State of America vary depending on the medical system, educational system, and work areas. Conventionally, jobs equal or similar to medical technologist (commonly known as clinical laboratory technologist, medical laboratory technologist, clinical laboratory scientist, and medical laboratory scientist), histotechnologist, cytotechnologist, and genetic technologist. Jobs, such as extracorporeal technologist, medical electrophysiology technologist, and medical sonographer, allow other allied health professionals including medical technologists, to obtain their qualification. The work areas of medical technologists are classified into clinical pathologic technology, pathologic technology, clinical genetics technology, nuclear medicine in vitro technology, and clinical physiologic technology. New titles of Korean specialized medical technologists refer to certification systems, such as CLMJ, CMAJ, ASCP, IAC, ABRET, and ARMDS. Currently, there are eight types of specialized medical technologists under the cooperation of specialized academic societies. They are hematology, transfusionology, chemistry, immunology, microbiology, histology, cytology, nuclear medicine. It can be further divided into 20 categories according to the work areas such as mass spectrometry, infection control, Pathologists' Assistant, flow cytometry, HLA, cytogenetics, molecular genetics, cardiopulmonary physiology, neurophysiology (EEG/EMG/PSG/etc.), cardiac sonography, neurosonography (TCD/carotid), and medical device quality manager.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to find terms that can give identity to the major and occupation of clinical laboratory technologist (also known as medical technologist). The term clinical pathology includes all branches of pathology, namely anatomical pathology, chemical pathology, hematology, microbiology, and all respective subspecialties. Unfortunately, several countries exclude anatomical pathology from the term clinical pathology, a problem that gets compounded when the title is translated into languages other than English. Clinical pathology (US, UK) is a medical specialty. Similar terms are laboratory medicine (Germany, Poland), medical/clinical biology (France, Netherlands) or clinical analysis (Spain). Depending on the person questioned, medical technology is defined slightly differently by individuals, companies, and institutions. The definition also depends on the language in which the question is asked. Medical technology can be translated to define clinical laboratory technology, allied health sciences, medical equipment, biomedical engineering, and health technology. The terms 'clinical pathology technology and pathological technology' are not used in allied health sciences. The names of 'medical technology·medical technologist' can be replaced by 'biomedical laboratory science·biomedical laboratory technologist' or 'clinical laboratory analysis·clinical laboratory analyst'. In this study, it is proposed to change the name of academic and occupation to 'medical biology·medical biology technologist' that combines the term biomedical.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.83-89
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• 2020

There is a noticeable gap in the personnel structures of clinical laboratories between North Korea and South Korea. In North Korea, 'Laboratory Doctor' is similar to the workforce of 'Medical Technologist (commonly known as Clinical Laboratory Technologist or Medical Laboratory Scientist)' in South Korea. Considering preceding research based on the verbal evidence of North Korean healthcare personnel defectors, it is estimated that the status of laboratory doctor in North Korea generally corresponds to physician and feldsher (such as physician assistant in Western countries). Physicians and feldshers are trained and fostered for five and a half years in medical universities and for three years in medical vocational schools (so-called junior college of medicine). Unlike South Korea, the North Korea's healthcare personnel system does not subdivide the tasks, education, qualifications and law regarding the specialties of health experts. It is thought that the Korean Association of Medical Technologists needs to collaboratively search and present the milestones for establishment of a professional system on clinical laboratory personnel in North Korea through cooperative research on policies with the related organizations for better preparation of the unification of the Korean Peninsula.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.178-183
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• 2012

We investigated the latest trend of u-Health and relations with clinical technologist. Since 2000, Korea has become an aging society. Korea will become an aged society by 2018, and it is expected to enter the ultra-high aged society by 2026. Increase in over 65 years population means that the desire of medical service and care demand for the elderly is greatly required. In addition, many predicted Korean national health insurance would falter financially. Medical suppression policies and regulations are also amended continuously. U-Health based on the IT industry and development of related technologies and industries contains the variety concepts of telemedicine, telehealth, e-health, u-healthcare and POCT. Especially, the use of POCT supplied quick clinical examination is extending steadily in medical center and hospital, which will generate the field friction between nurses and medical technologists. In the transition situation from provider-centric service to consumer-driven health care system, this study recommended the principal role and correspondence of clinical laboratory workers and offered information about changes in healthcare market and the basic concept of expert system, measurement and the diagnosis principle to clinical technicians throughout the investigation of the recent research and government policy trends.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.105-121
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• 2021

To investigate and accommodate opinions on the revision of the official occupational title of the medical technologist, the Korean Association of Medical Technologists (KAMT) requested 22,638 people registered as its regular members to participate in an online survey and select their two preferred options from the alternative job titles presented. Survey responses were collected from 3,999 people (17.66%). To examine job title preferences among the KAMT members, each respondent was asked to choose two terms from the choice set. As a result, 6,958 responses were obtained, and out of the total responses, 5,555 (79.83%) indicated a choice for a job title that included the word 'analyst' as the preferred alternative. The survey results showed that "Diagnostic Laboratory Analyst" was the most preferred alternative selected by the largest proportion of respondents (2,417 responses, 34.73%), followed by "Clinical Laboratory Analyst" (1,710 responses, 24.57%), "Biomedical Pathology Technologist" (758 responses, 10.89%), "Biomedical Analyst" (730 responses, 10.49%), "Biomedical Laboratory Analyst" (730 responses, 10.03%), and "Clinical Laboratory Scientist" (646 responses, 9.26%). Therefore, based on the responses of the surveyed members, results of consultation and literature review, the Standard Classification of Occupations (SCO), and the current status of the job titles used in major countries, it is suggested that the occupational title of medical technologists should be changed by adopting "Diagnostic Laboratory Analyst", "Biomedical Laboratory Analyst", or "Biomedical Analyst" as their new official job title.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.54-62
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• 2018

In the 2000's, due to a change in hospital management strategy, the organizational structure shifted from a hierarchical system to a team system. While the hierarchical system is characterized by being activity centered, job title linked, and vertically managed, the team system is characterized by being competency centered, job title segregated, and horizontally managed. The job titles of medical technologist manager was surveyed three times in 1997, 2007, and 2017. It has been confirmed through staff members working at 24 hospitals in more than 500 beds in the metropolitan area. The results of job titles follow are as follow: "Team Leader; Part Leader" 14/24 (59%), "Chief Technologist; Area Head Technologist" 7/24 (29%), and "Chief" 3/24 (12%). The present authors propose an alternative name based on the team system to refine the three job titles currently used by medical technologists. First, the Chief Technologist is unclear if it refers to the Technologist General Manager or Technologist Manager. The Chief Technologist should be changed to "Team Leader". Second, given that Area Head Technologist or Section Chief are on the same position as Head Nurse, we suggest that Area Head Technologist or Section Chief should be changed to "Part Leader". Third, while the organization regulation is marked merely as Department of Laboratory Medicine according to the hierarchical system, it is marked as Laboratory Medicine Team according to the team system. Medical technologists come to have more belongingness, feeling of solidarity, and intimacy under the team system.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.285-292
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• 2022

The education and training system, the ISCO (International Standard Classification of Occupations), and the legal systems of Japan and the United States consider all ophthalmic optometry laboratory personnel as ophthalmologists. They encompass optometrists, orthoptists, optometric technicians, and ophthalmic medical technicians. Data retrieved from the KOSIS (Korean Statistical Information Service) revealed that the number of opticians associated with the department of ophthalmology in 2022 could be appraised by classifying their medical institutions; contrarily, the number of clinical laboratory technologists could not be assessed. However, the current research investigated a general tertiary hospital and determined that clinical laboratory technologists outnumber opticians. Classification in Korea is based on ophthalmic optometry laboratory personnel, ISCO, ISCED (International Standard Classification of Education), the medical service act, the act on medical service technologists, and the higher education act. These results cannot be compared to the optometrists evaluated in the United States. Ophthalmology is a suitable profession for optometric technologists and technicians who perform under the instructions of ophthalmologists and optometrists. The field of eye healthcare would be benefitted by assigning the management based on their qualification according to the requirement of the job title, such as 'Clinical Optometry Technologist' to be given to clinical laboratory technologists and opticians who work in the ophthalmic optometry laboratories after obtaining a private qualification endowed by the Korean Ophthalmological Society and the Korean Optometry Society.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.158-163
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• 2020

This study examines and presents reasonable improvement measures for the operation and revision of the relative value scoring system, and the basis for performance of a medical technologist. Seven hospitals were enrolled in the study, and included 5 resident laboratory medicine specialists and 53 medical technologists, giving a ratio of 10.6 technologists per laboratory medicine specialist. The average of professional manpower scores was 18, and the average of each medical institution's total score was 78. Ratings and additional rates were in the range 2~3%, and quality-added ratios were 2~3%, with no significance. Excluding pathological testing and assessing physiological functions, the average number of diagnostic tests for health insurance claims were 9,618,062, including 4,378,146 points for 5% of the total relative value scores. According to the DEA, the appropriate number of medical technologist is one person per 49,974 points of relative value. In conclusion, our study results indicate that it would be desirable to set the appropriate workforce for medical technologist to one person per 50,000 points of relative value. Our data could be used as a basis for enhancing productivity of the workforce and balancing health care resources.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.477-488
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• 2017

This study presents a discussion on the biomedical laboratory science (formally clinical laboratory science or medical laboratory science) with the identity of biomedical laboratory science, as well as the academic classification system for systematic approach. The field of biomedical laboratory science is not registered in the academic research area classification system of the National Research Foundation of Korea. Since the inception of the first department of biomedical laboratory science in 1963, about 52 departments were since established. Despite the scientific identity, biomedical laboratory science have not been acknowledged professionally in most institutions. Observing the academic research area classification, the physical therapy, occupational therapy, and dental hygiene science are systematically classified and approved the identities by the authorities. This study is freshly academic area classification system of the biomedical laboratory science. The contents of this study are summarized as follows. The medical laboratory technologist's discipline is considered within the medical and science category, clinical pathology in class, and biomedical laboratory science in division. Sections of biomedical laboratory science include hematology, transfusionology, immunology, biochemistry, microbiology, parasitology, science, molecular biology, histology, cytology, cardiopulmonary physiology, and neurophysiology.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.71-81
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• 2023

This study examined the transition process of clinical laboratory technologists' national examination and job definition in Korea and compared the differences in the national examination between Korea and neighboring countries, such as Japan and Taiwan. In Korea, the number of questions made for it was 200 (1965), 200 (1977), 300 (1982), 250 (1992), 330 (2006), and 280 (2015). The practice of clinical physiology is important for real-time monitoring, given the characteristics of physiological testing. On the other hand, there are conflicts between other occupations in the working area. Clinical molecular biology needs to be established as a new major subject considering the diagnostic importance of molecular biological tests and the speed of science and technology development. Clinical laboratory operations provide policy and guidance recommendations to technologist staff. The proposed clinical laboratory technologists' national examination comprises major subjects: clinical biochemistry, clinical hematology, clinical transfusionology, clinical immunology, clinical microbiology, clinical molecular biology, clinical histology, clinical cytology, clinical physiology, and clinical laboratory operations. In addition, this study proposes the job definition of clinical laboratory technologists, revising various chemical or physiological testing to biomedical or physiological testing required for medical practice.