Medical Technologists | A silent shortage that creates delays in the network

2024-04-19 12:05:10

(Montreal) Shadow workers and a profession unknown to the public, medical technologists are essential to treating patients. However, a “critical shortage” of technologists is currently affecting Quebec, which is causing delays in the health network.

Published at 8:05 a.m.

Katrine Desautels The Canadian Press

The analyzes carried out by medical technologists allow the doctor to make a diagnosis, propose follow-up and a treatment plan. Approximately 85% of diagnoses and therapeutic monitoring are based on laboratory results.

There are several major sectors of the medical technologist profession, including blood banking, pathology and microbiology.

Each year, 208 million samples are processed in the laboratories of the health network in Quebec.

On the occasion of National Medical Laboratory Week which ends on April 20, The Canadian Press met several speakers from the health sector who highlight the importance of the role that medical technologists play.

Critical shortage

Loan Luu, president of the Professional Order of Medical Technologists of Quebec (OPTMQ), believes that the shortage is critical. She indicated that 50% of needs are currently met.

According to CEGEP data for the year 2022-2023, the need for medical technologists was estimated at 687, and only 327 graduates were recruited in the health network.

Ms. Luu maintained that the OPTMQ is working with government authorities and other collaborators, such as the University of Montreal Hospital Center (CHUM), to find a larger pool of qualified labor to help the network laboratories.

“Hence the importance of recognizing the work of medical technologists because we also want to retain them,” she explains. It is important to recognize their contribution and that is the goal of this national promotion week. »

Marie-Kim Potvin-Perron, medical technologist in a blood bank at CHUM, witnesses the labor shortage every day.

She explains that the blood bank is open 24 hours a day and that there must always be at least two people on duty in the evening and at night, particularly for urgent needs, for example for a patient in the delivery room who would bleed or the immediate needs of the operating room.

“We have extreme emergencies,” she said. For a patient whose analyzes will not necessarily be completed, the product must be given in less than five minutes. We must ensure the safety of the product quickly,” explains Ms. Potvin-Perron.

In his department, there should be six technologists, but sometimes there are only two on duty. “The bosses established a list of priorities for us. When we enter the red phase, the bosses must call all the people in charge in the operating room to cancel operations, appointments, transfusions, so that we are able to respond to emergency requests,” indicated Ms. Potvin -Perron.

For Marie-Reine Kouzaili, technical coordinator in microbiology, the labor shortage is less intense in her department, although it is present.

“We often apply the contingency plan. We are moving to level 2 because of the lack of staff, so sometimes there are work benches that are closed, said Ms. Kouzaili. It is certainly difficult from the point of view of preserving samples and meeting deadlines. We must optimize time, energy, staff, but this is not always easy because everyone becomes exhausted. »

Despite the shortage challenges, Ms. Kouzaili and Ms. Potvin-Perron are true lovers of their work. “We are passionate people who carry out investigations, who solve problems, who really have an impact in the treatment of the patient,” declared Ms. Potvin-Perron.

“It’s true that we work in the shadows,” admits Ms. Kouzaili. We do not have direct contact with the patient, so the patient or his family do not see us. For us, the satisfaction we have is when we do our work and we are able to produce our result within an acceptable time frame, we maintain the quality of the samples and at the end of the line the patient has the result that the doctor expects. »

Promote the profession

Doctors also highlighted the importance of the role of medical technologists.

In the pathology sector, for example, the technologist receives biopsy samples. He must make sure it is put in the correct condom so that the analysis can be carried out. Several steps will follow before moving on to cutting, in particular whether it is necessary to soften a piece of bone or harden another type of tissue in order to cut it properly.

“It takes very important knowledge of anatomy to cut the right section to find the disease we are looking for,” explained Dr. Issa-Chergui, president of the Association of Pathologists. The cut must be straight and homogeneous, and then the blade must be colored and the right contrast applied.

Dr. Issa-Chergui emphasizes that each sample is precious. We cannot return at will to look for the piece of a tumor, for example.

Dr. Issa-Chergui believes that we need to better promote this profession, which she describes as essential. “We see doctors, nurses, health professionals who have direct contact with the patient, but we do not realize that behind every diagnosis, every treatment, there is a laboratory test and it is a medical technologist who does it. We really need to promote this very important role. The diagnosis is often made in the laboratory. »

Dr. Cécile Tremblay, medical head of the microbiology department at the CHUM, agrees.

“The role of medical technologists is extremely valuable,” she says. We often think that when we request a laboratory test to establish a diagnosis or monitor a patient, we just need to put a tube in a machine and we get a result. But in reality, this is not the case. It takes special expertise to be able to identify microbes correctly, identify their sensitivity to antibiotics, and come up with an accurate diagnosis. »

Dr. Tremblay, who is also a full professor in the Department of Microbiology, Infectiology and Immunology at the University of Montreal, emphasizes that there are many facets to the profession.

“People can handle instruments, learn a lot regarding bacteriology and can contribute to the well-being of patients, and that is underestimated,” she says. And unfortunately there are not enough people in training to meet the needs we have and that is causing real problems in the network. »

We need to better promote the profession to attract competent young people, according to Dr. Tremblay and Dr. Issa-Chergui. The public would benefit from knowing what goes on behind the laboratory doors in hospitals to understand how crucial the work that is done there is for the patient.

The Canadian Press’ health content receives funding through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for editorial choices.

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