ASCP Presents on Laboratory Workforce at AAMC Annual Health Workforce Research Conference

Publication Date: May 29, 2019

The ASCP Institute for Science, Technology and Public Policy’s Workforce Initiative team attended the 15th Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Annual Health Workforce Research Conference, held in Alexandria, VA, this May. Two ASCP posters and one session abstract were accepted and presented at the conference. First is the data visualization project via Tableau online maps that provide an effective way to share a large amount of data at no cost to a wider audience. Historically, there has been a high demand for workforce data among laboratory professionals across the United States, especially at the state level. Unfortunately, space constraints in the peer-reviewed journals limit the amount of data that can be published. The poster highlighted effective practices of sharing ASCP workforce (wage and vacancy) data with the laboratory professionals and other audiences. ASCP used Tableau version 10.4 software for the data visualization.

Second, ASCP presented a poster on job stress and burnout among laboratory professionals working in urban and rural locations. Results show that laboratory professionals who live in rural areas are more likely to change careers completely (52 percent) compared to those living in urban areas (43 percent) due to burnout. The session discussed the job stress and burnout among medical laboratory professionals by race and ethnicity. High prevalence of burnout across demographics was found among laboratory professionals. Current levels of burnout were highest among Native American respondents while white/Caucasians reported the highest levels of burnout at some time during their career.

The online maps are available on ASCP’s Workforce Initiatives website at no cost. They show state and regional distribution of vacancy, retirement, certification, age, location, and hourly wage data for laboratory professionals across the United States. A map of laboratory training programs was also created using data from accrediting bodies. Users have the ability to navigate the interactive maps to search for workforce data based on occupational title, occupational level and department of their choice. It is a useful tool that leverages workforce data to address salary- and hiring-related questions, guide decision making, and identify regions likely to have workforce shortages in the foreseeable future.

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For more information regarding ASCP's advocacy initiatives and policy positions, please contact ASCP's Center for Public Policy at (202) 408-1110.

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