Working on the bench can feel like being in a black box. And as important as it is to advocate for patients, pathologists and laboratory professionals rarely have direct access to them. 

So, what can we do to encourage patient-centered care in the medical laboratory? 

On this episode of Inside the Lab, your hosts, Ms. Kelly Swails, MLS(ASCP), and Dr. Lotte Mulder, PhD, are joined by three members of the laboratory staff at University Hospital in San Antonio, Ms. Carrie Bartosh, MLS(ASCP), SV, Laboratory Supervisor in the Microbiology Department, Ms. Claudia Courtright, MLS(ASCP), Technical Supervisor in Microbiology Services, and Mr. Scott Bowman, MLS(ASCP), Bench Technologist, to discuss patient advocacy in the laboratory. 

Our panelists describe what laboratories can do to promote a culture of patient-centered care, sharing examples of situations when they advocated for patients from the bench and what they wish people knew about the value of the work done in the medical laboratory.  

Listen in for Ms. Bartosh, Ms. Courtright, and Mr. Bowman’s advice for laboratory professionals on avoiding burnout and learn how your laboratory can establish processes that support patient-centered care.  

Topics Covered 
· How frontline laboratory professionals can advocate for patients from the bench
· Instances of advocating for patients and how working in a culture of safety empowered those situations
· What the University Health laboratory does to continuously evaluate and improve its patient-centered care practices
· What laboratories can do to promote a culture of patient-centered care
· Why a punitive culture in the laboratory is not conducive to patient-centered care
· Examples of processes that support patient-centered care
· Advice to laboratory professionals on how to avoid burnout
· How Ms. Bartosh, Ms. Courtright, and Mr. Bowmanstay motivated to focus on advocacy
· Why laboratory professionals rarely have an opportunity to involve patients in the decision-making process around laboratory testing and results interpretation (and how impactful it is when they do)
· What our panelists wish patients knew about the value of the work we do in the medical laboratory 

Connect with ASCP
ASCP
ASCP on Facebook
ASCP on Instagram
ASCP on Twitter

Connect with Ms. Bartosh, Ms. Courtright & Mr. Bowman
University Health Laboratory Services
Ms. Bartosh on LinkedIn 

Connect with Ms. Swails & Dr. Brown
Ms. Swails on Twitter
Dr. Mulder on Twitter

Resources
CAP Inspection Checklists
ASCP Patient Champions Program
Inside the Lab in the ASCP Store