Defining the Practice of Medical Technology

• Science  

  • Primarily concerned with the study of the natural world and the interrelationship among the biological, psychological, and even the social world  
  • Many principles of medical technology are highly dependent on developments in the scientific discipline  and areas such as chemistry, electronics, optics and mechanics, among others, to develop a utilizable biotechnology that will aid in the diagnosis of diseases  
• technology  

  • The application of science in ways that are considered beneficial to society
• Technology(Howell,  1996)

  • As Physical artifact machine, or instrument  
  • As an activity or means to accomplish a goal  
  • As knowledge   
• Rogers (1996) “technology is a design for instrumental action that reduces the uncertainty in the cause-effect relationships involved in achieving a desired outcome” (possible result)  
• Technology - consists of physical elements such as equipment, materials, or products, and intangible elements, such as knowledge, skills, procedures, principles, or information base
• Medical Technology  

  • Designed to improve the detection, diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring disease 
  • It has linkages with many other disciplines for specific diagnosis  or therapeutic purposes (Evans et al., 2003)  
  • Contextual, interdisciplinary, interdependent, and systems-based.  
• Clinical Laboratory Scientists  

  • Perform most of these laboratory tests  
  • Involved in the examination and analysis of body fluids, tissues, and cells.  
• Medical Technology act of 1969 (RA 5527)  

  • Section 2 and its amendments: EA 6132, PD 498, and PD 1534 define the practice of medical technology:
• Practice of Medical Technology - A person shall be deemed to be in the practice of medical technology within the meaning of this Act, who shall for a fee, salary or other compensation or reward paid or given directly or indirectly through another, renders any of the following professional services to aid  in the physician in the diagnosis, study and treatment of diseases and in the promotion of health in general.  
• Examination of tissues, secretions, and excretions of the human body and body fluids by various electronic, chemical, microscopic bacteriologic, hematologic, serologic, immunologic, nuclear, and other laboratory procedures and techniques either manual or automated  
• Blood banking (blood donation, cross matching)  procedures and techniques;  or transfusion medicine  
• Parasitology, Mycologic, and Microbiologic (bacteria – bacteriology  and viruses – verology ) and techniques;   
• Histopathologic and Cytotechnology; provided that nothing in this paragraph shall inhibit a duly registered medical laboratory technician (did not passed the grade requirement or provisions for a certain subject of GWA – 75% and above) (they cannot produce results; supervised by registered MedTechs)  from performing histopathologic techniques and procedures.   
• Clinical Research involving patients or human beings requiring the use of and/or application of medical technology knowledge and procedures;   
• Preparations and standardization of reagents, standards, stains and others, provided such reagents, standards, stains and others are exclusively for the use  
• • Clinical laboratory control  
  •  Collection and preservation of specimens; Provided, That any person who has passed the corresponding Board examination for the practice of a profession already regulated by existing law, shall not be subject to the provisions of the last four preceding paragraphs if the performance of such acts or services is merely incidental to his profession.   
• Cardona et al, 2015  

  
  

  All are commonly observed in a clinical laboratory  

  • Some of these may not be exclusive to medical technologists.  
• • A medical technologist must first become licensed before he or she is permitted to practice the profession.  
  • It should be considered that the medical technology practice should be bound by the accepted pledge in accordance with the Code of Ethics of Medical Technology.  
• MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY CODE OF ETHICS  

    

  • Original version – Dr Nardito Moraleta  
  • Revised version – Prof. Rodolfo Rabor  
  • Resolution No. 72 s. 2022  
• (COE MORALITA) I accept the responsibilities associated with my duties
• (COE MORALITA) I shall uphold the ideals of my profession
• (COE MORALETA) I am aware that since the physician relies upon my work in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, any error may affect the health or even the life of the patient. Every procedure therefore must be carried out with absolute reliability, accuracy, fairness, and honesty
• (COE MORALETA) I shall strive to preserve the integrity of the professionals and I from whom we expect the same
• (COE MORALETA) I shall strive to develop necessary virtues needed in my work and shall place my service above any other considerations
• (COE MORALETA) I shall restrict my phrases, criticisms,

  values, and opinions, within constructive limits and I shall not use the knowledge I know as a tool for my selfish personal ends.
• (COE MORALETA) I realize that the knowledge I acquired about any individual in the course of my work must be treated as confidential. And since the physician has the ultimate responsibility in the diagnosis and treatment, my result must be known only by him. I shall neither make a diagnosis nor interpretations other than this in the report made by me nor shall I advice the physician or others on how to treat diseases
• (COE MORALETA) I shall believe in full and equal opportunities in the pursuance of our ideals within the context of the principles of human rights .
• (COE MORALETA) To these principles, I hereby subscribe, promising to conduct myself at all times in a manner appropriate to the dignity of my profession .
• (COE RABOR )

  I shall accept the responsibilities inherent to being a professional

  I shall uphold the law and shall not engage in illegal work nor cooperate with anyone so engaged
• (COE RABOR) I shall avoid associating or being identified with any enterprise of questionable chracter
• (COE RABOR) I shall work and act in a strict spirit of fairness to employer, clients, contractors, employees and in a spirit of personal helpfulness and fraternity toward other members of the profession
• I shall use only honorable means of competition for professional employment or services and shall refrain from unfairly injuring, directly or indirectly, the professional reputation, projects or business of a fellow medical technologist.
• (COE RABOR) I shall accept employment from more than one employer only when there is no conflict of interest
• (COR RABOR) I shall advance the profession by exchanging general information and experience with fellow medical technologists and other professionals and by contributing to the work of professional organizations;
• (COE RABOR) I shall restrict my praises, criticisms, views, and opinions within constructive limits and shall not use the knowledge I know for selfish ends; I shall treat any information I acquired about individuals in the course of my work as strictly confidential, and may be divulged only to authorized persons or entities or with consent of the individual when necessary;
• (COE RABOK) I shall report any infractions of these principles of professional conduct to the authorities responsible of enforcement of applicable laws or regulations, or to the Ethics Committee of the

  Philippine Association of the Medical Technologists (PAMETH)

  as may be appropriate.
• Perform clinical laboratory testing

  • competency in performing routine laboratory ttestrst in the different areas of laboratory science
• Perform special procedures

  • advance diagnostic equipment
  • molecular and nuclear diagnostic
• Ensure Accuracy and Precision Results

  • inaccurate and precise the most frequent results
• Be honest in practice

  • should act according to the Medical Technology profession's Code of Ethics and his or her pledged oath of practice