State of affairs and future challenges in laboratory medicine in Spain : an analysis of the Spanish Society of Laboratory Medicine (SEQC ML)
Caballé, Imma (Laboratorio Catlab)
Buño, Antonio (Hospital Universitario La Paz (Madrid))
Bernabeu, Francisco A. (Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda. Laboratorio Clínico)
Canalias Reverter, Francesca (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Bioquímica i de Biologia Molecular)
Moreno, Antonio (Hospital de Meixoeiro. Servizo de Análises de Laboratorio Clínico)
Ibarz Escuer, Mercedes (Hospital Universitari Arnau de Vilanova de Lleida. Laboratori Clínic ICS Lleida)
Puzo, José (Hospital Universitario San Jorge. Servicio de Análisis de Laboratorio Clínico y Bioquímica)
González, Concepción (Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena. Servicio de Bioquímica Clínica)
González, Álvaro (Clínica Universidad de Navarra. Servicio de Bioquímica Clínica)

Date:	2023
Abstract:	Objectives: Laboratory Medicine is a crucial discipline that contributes to the diagnosis, management and monitoring of patients. This branch of medicine faces two major challenges: New technologies and increased demand. There is limited information available of the state of affairs in Laboratory Medicine in Spain. This study provides a picture of clinical laboratories and clinical laboratory professionals. Methods: The Spanish Society of Laboratory Medicine distributed a questionnaire among the 250 most representative centers (the ones with the largest volume of determinations and training programs), of which 174 (69. 6%) returned the questionnaire providing data for 2019. Results :Laboratories were classified according to the number of determinations. In total, 37% identified themselves as small (<1 million determinations per year); 40% considered themselves medium-sized (1-5 million determinations per year) and 23% considered they were large laboratories (>5 million determinations). The level of specialization of laboratory physicians and laboratory performance were higher in large laboratories. Most requests (87%) and determinations (93%) corresponded to biochemistry and hematology. As many as 63% of physicians had an indefinite contract, and 23% were older than 60 years. Conclusions: Laboratory medicine is a consolidated discipline that is gaining relevance in Spain. It adds value to the diagnosis, prognosis and follow-up of diseases, and to treatment response monitoring. The results of this study will help us address challenges such as the need for specialized training for laboratory professionals; the emergence of technological innovations; exploitation of Big Data; optimization of quality management systems and patient safety.
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Future challenges ; Laboratory medicine ; Sector status
Published in:	Advances in Laboratory Medicine, Vol. 4, Issue 1 (March 2023) , p. 70-80, ISSN 2628-491X

DOI: 10.1515/almed-2023-0013
PMID: 37359902

11 p, 4.9 MB

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