Career pathways into the medical laboratory workforce: Education, exposures, and motivations.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to investigate career pathways into the medical laboratory workforce by examining medical laboratory scientists, medical laboratory technicians, histotechnologists, histotechnicians, cytologists, and phlebotomists.

Methods: We collected data through an anonymous online survey (May-June 2023) from a convenience sample of medical laboratory professionals in the United States (N = 1243). We performed descriptive analyses of demographics, current employment characteristics, educational and training history, career exposures, motivations, movement, and outlook (eg, job satisfaction, future career plans).

The American Society for Clinical Pathology 2022 Vacancy Survey of medical laboratories in the United States.

Objectives: To determine the extent and distribution of laboratory workforce shortages within the nation's medical laboratories.

Methods: The Vacancy Survey was conducted through collaboration between the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Institute for Science, Technology and Public Policy in Washington, DC, and the Evaluation, Measurement, and Assessment Department and ASCP Board of Certification in Chicago, IL. Data were collected through an internet survey distributed to individuals who were able to report on staffing and certifications for their laboratories.

The American Society for Clinical Pathology 2020 Vacancy Survey of Medical Laboratories in the United States.

Objectives: To determine the extent and distribution of workforce shortages within the nation's medical laboratories.

Methods: The survey was conducted through collaboration between the American Society for Clinical Pathology Institute for Science, Technology, and Public Policy in Washington, DC, and the Evaluation, Measurement, and Assessment Department and Board of Certification in Chicago, IL. Data were collected via an internet survey distributed to individuals who were able to report on staffing and certifications for their laboratories.

Processing of fallopian tube, ovary, and endometrial surgical pathology specimens: A survey of U.S. laboratory practices.

Objective: Many high-grade serous carcinomas initiate in fallopian tubes as serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (STIC), a microscopic lesion identified with specimen processing according to the Sectioning and Extensive Examination of the Fimbria protocol (SEE-Fim). Given that the tubal origin of these cancers was recently recognized, we conducted a survey of pathology practices to assess processing protocols that are applied to gynecologic surgical pathology specimens in clinical contexts in which finding STIC might have different implications.

Methods: We distributed a survey electronically to the American Society for Clinical Pathology list-serve to determine practice patterns and compared results between practice types by chi-square (χ2) tests for categorical variables.

Biomedical laboratory science education: standardising teaching content in resource-limited countries.

Background: There is a worldwide shortage of qualified laboratory personnel to provide adequate testing for the detection and monitoring of diseases. In an effort to increase laboratory capacity in developing countries, new skills have been introduced into laboratory services. Curriculum revision with a focus on good laboratory practice is an important aspect of supplying entry-level graduates with the competencies needed to meet the current needs.

A descriptive analysis of prevalent vs incident cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 following minor cytologic abnormalities.

Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN 3) is the best proxy in research and screening for invasive cancer risk. Yet the timing of CIN 3 development is uncertain because of measurement errors integral to its diagnosis. We were interested in estimating the proportions of prevalent vs incident CIN 3 within 2 years of finding a minor cytologic abnormality.

Policy implications of adjusting randomized trial data for economic evaluations: a demonstration from the ASCUS-LSIL Triage Study.

Background: Although the randomized controlled trial (RCT) is widely considered the most reliable method for evaluation of health care interventions, challenges to both internal and external validity exist. Thus, the efficacy of an intervention in a trial setting does not necessarily represent the real-world performance that decision makers seek to inform comparative effectiveness studies and economic evaluations.

Methods: Using data from the ASCUS-LSIL Triage Study (ALTS), we performed a simplified economic evaluation of age-based management strategies to detect cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN3) among women who were referred to the study with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL).

The clinical meaning of a cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 biopsy.

Objective: To determine whether the diagnosis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grade 1 increases the risk of CIN 3 above what is observed for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.

Methods: Using data from the atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) triage study, we compared the 2-year cumulative risk of CIN 3 for women with an enrollment diagnosis of CIN 1 (n=594) (median age 23 years) compared with those with negative histology or no biopsy taken at colposcopy ("no CIN 1," n=570) (median age 24 years). Baseline cervical specimens were tested for carcinogenic HPV by a clinical HPV test and HPV genotypes by polymerase chain reaction.

Performance of carcinogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) testing and HPV16 or HPV18 genotyping for cervical cancer screening of women aged 25 years and older: a subanalysis of the ATHENA study.

Background: The ATHENA study was designed to assess the performance of carcinogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) testing and HPV16 or HPV18 genotyping compared with liquid-based cytology for cervical cancer screening in a large US population aged 21 years and older. We did a subanalysis of this population to compare the screening performance of the cobas HPV test versus liquid-based cytology in women aged 25 years and older, and assess management strategies for HPV-positive women.

Methods: Women aged 25 years or older who were attending routine cervical screening were enrolled from 61 clinical centres in 23 US states.