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[Rinsho Byori 50 : 479`482, 2002]
The Newly Certified 105 Japanese Medical Technologists in Clinical Microbiology Interest in quality assurance(QA) in clinical laboratories in Japan has
increased over the past 30 years. We have however been lagging behind countries
such as the USA, Canada and the UK in QA of clinical microbiology. The
main problem of QA in Japan is human resources. There are only about 400
laboratory physicians certified by the Japanese Society of Laboratory Medicine(JSLM).
Almost no academics in microbiology are interested in QA and they mostly
lack clinical competence. There is a small number of faculty positions,
and promotions are mostly based on research productivity while medical
graduates are increasingly drawn to bench work for basic, short-term research.
The Japanese Society for Clinical Microbiology(JSCM) was established in
1990 in order to promote the development of clinical microbiology and its
relevant fields in Japan. And 2001 was a milestone in sustained efforts
of the JSLM to initiate qualifying examinations of medical technologists(MT)
in clinical microbiology. 105 MT in clinical microbiology were newly certified
by the Joint Committee of JSCM, JSLM, Japanese Association of Medical Technologists(JAMT)
and College of Clinical Pathology of Japan(CCPJ). The certified MTs have
appropriate educational background and are well motivated. With good on-the-job
training, they are expected to perform effectively various tasks, including
laboratory management. Recent radical changes in the health care delivery
system have also had serious implications on laboratory services and QA
of microbiological tests. The primary goal of the clinical microbiology
laboratory is to provide accurate diagnostic testing and high-quality service
at a low cost for its customers. It is believed that the Joint Committee
and the newly certified MTs will contribute to narrowing the gap between
Japan and other countries in clinical microbiology.
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