ASCP has just released a four-part “docuseries” that examines the issues that arose in the medical laboratory during the COVID-19 pandemic, including how and why the lab persevered and how it can play a leadership role in preventing future pandemics.
ASCP CEO Blair Holladay, PhD, MASCP, SCT(ASCP)CM, interviewed laboratory leaders and staff at six major medical centers and laboratories nationwide to talk about lessons learned, healthcare disparities, policy issues and preparedness.
Early on, the pandemic highlighted how the public -- and medical community -- took the lab for granted. At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, medical laboratories struggled mightily, and they still do in some regards. The docuseries highlights four themes:
• How pathologists and medical laboratory professionals coped with burnout while working round the clock to fight the coronavirus
• How existing healthcare disparities were brought to the forefront during the pandemic
• The leadership role that the laboratory played in advocating for patients’ needs
• How laboratories and health systems can apply the lessons learned dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, including addressing staffing and supply shortages, to prepare for future pandemics.
The sites included NorthShore University HealthSystem, the Cleveland Clinic, the University of Washington, Seattle, the UCLA Health System, Quest Diagnostics and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. You can watch the docuseries
here.
