ANCILLARY SERVICES 1
AncillaryServices
AncillaryServices
Ancillary servicesare healthcare services provided by healthcare practitioners topatients having various types of illnesses and other healthconditions. In the previous work, the basic categories of ancillaryservices were discussed, focusing on the activities associated witheach category and the interactions between the various personnelrelated to the categories. The categories of ancillary servicesdiscussed include diagnostic, therapeutic and custodial services. Inthis paper, attention will be paid on one of these services,diagnostic services. This service will be discussed in details, firstaddressing the overview part. Afterwards, the work expectations ofbasic personnel and operations in this field will be highlightedconsidering the case of a new individual in the management of thearea.
Messageto my Subordinate Staff Members
As a new manager inthe field of diagnostic healthcare services, I understand that Imight have to do some changes on how various operations in thedepartment will be handled. I however urge every personnel to performtheir dispatched duties according to their qualifications so thatoperations will be run effectively and with little maintenance.
First, I would liketo bring everyone on board on what diagnostic healthcare entails andthe core sections therein. Diagnostic services are a field inancillary healthcare services mandated with the tasks of runningtests to patients and other specimens so as to determine the cause ofa disease, a health condition or any other disorder (Costigliola,2012). Diagnosis takes place in simple operations such as laboratorytests as well as in huge research initiatives on a specimen todetermine the cause and solution to a certain disease outbreak. Thisimplies that there are various fields in this category with varyingoperations as well as personnel. The main areas under diagnostichealthcare include radiology, pathology and laboratory services.
Asmost of us know very well, pathology and laboratory services are verycommon in small health centers and in big hospitals. This is thefield that deals with running laboratory tests to patients toidentify the possible causes to the patients’ symptoms (In Parwani,2016). Symptoms such as stomach upsets, diarrhea and production ofpulse in private parts could be as a result of disease-causing microorganisms such as bacteria, worms and viruses.
The role ofpathology therefore is to relate specific symptoms with a certaindisease causing micro-organism and running laboratory tests helps toback up or prove the relation. I therefore expect that any laboratorypersons operating under pathology and basic clinical laboratoryactivities have all the necessary knowledge and skills based onmicro-organisms and their health effects on the human body (Cucoranu,2015). The persons under this department must be able to performbasic laboratory activities such as issuance and collection of stoolkits to patients. The kits have to be then delivered to the pathologyoffice for dissemination and conduction of tests on the specimen. Thepractitioners in this office must ensure high test standards so thatprecise results are attained after the tests are conducted. Theknowledge of using electronic microscope must be in every pathologyoperator because this is a fast growing aspect of technology and theold microscopes are being replaced with more advanced ones.
Ialso expect the personnel in this department to observe high qualityhygiene standards (Benavides & Rambaran, 2013). This is becausepathogens are patients’ worst enemies and we the healthpractitioners are no exemption from this. If we fail to be hygienicwhile operating in this area, we might find ourselves the victims ofbacterial and viral infections, subject to the highly infectiousspecimens. Because of this, I expect all of you to always be in yourfull medical gear including hand sanitizers, protective gloves andlaboratory coats. These are essential effects that will help usconduct our lab exercises without compromising the test results oreven our health. I will ensure that these are provided in plenty sothat each member of this team is on the right track all together.
Theother field under diagnostic healthcare services is radiology. Thisas most of you know is the field of medicine that deals with the useof high energy radiation machines to conduct diagnostic activities inthe interior of human body (Canon, 2010). This includes taking x rayimages and closely examining them to find defects especially in theskeletal structure. This is usually conducted to find defects such ascleft lip and cleft palate, fractured bones, dislocations anddiseases such as Osteoporosis, Bone Cancers and Rickets. Wereit not for radiology, few accomplishments would have been achieved bythis far in diagnostic healthcare. It is therefore vital for each oneof us in this department to be very conversant with both past andcontemporary practices in radiology.
Mymain expectation for personnel operating in radiology is competencywhile handling the radiology equipment (Boyle & Kirkpatrick,2012). Such include the ultrasonorgraphy machine that takes images ofstructures of the body from within the body through the use ofultrasound. The other equipments are x ray machines that serve thesame purpose as ultrasonorgraphy but using x rays. I also expect myradiology technicians to have competent knowledge on how to positionpatients before running radiology tests. This is an important aspectof radiology since the positioning of patients inside the radiologyequipment determines what details are obtained after the operation.For the most trained radiologists, I expect more skills andcompetency in anatomy and biology. Add a little effort on this andyou will see yourself get promoted to senior radiology technologist.
Theseare the basic expectations that I would like to see in all of you.Other than these, I will communicate more about the specificexpectations from each one of you but at the individual level. On ageneral term, I expect that every member of the diagnostic healthcareservices observes high competency in communication skills. Withoutthis, no co-ordination of practices and operations will be effective.Remember that it is my wish and hopefully everyone’s that theactivities as well as operations are conducted smoothly, efficientlyand conveniently.
Conclusion
Thisresearch paper has offered an insight that diagnostic healthcarepertains to the conduction of clinical or laboratory as well asadvanced practices and operations for the purpose of determining thecauses to diseases and health conditions. The basic subcategories ofdiagnostic healthcare have been identified as radiology andlaboratory operations. Each of these has been narrowed on and moredetails offered. For example, radiology has been identified as thearea that deals with running scans and imaging tests in the humanbody especially the skeletal structure to find defects and diseases.Laboratory practices have been associated with the identification ofmicro-organisms such as bacteria, viruses and human worms that causediseases. Basic health and professional expectations of practitionersin each of the sub categories have been discussed, focusing attentionon each subcategory.
This research paperis therefore crucial to both basic and advanced medical personneloperating or wishing to specialize in diagnostic healthcare. Theknowledge and application of lessons learnt from this paper areessential as they will help as a guide to help managers as well asthe appropriate personnel such as radiologists and laboratorytechnicians conduct their operations in co-ordination for the purposeof attaining health accomplishments.
References
Benavides, S., & Rambaran, K. (2013). Pharmacytechnicians: Expanding role with uniform expectations, education andlimits in scope of practice. Journal of Research in PharmacyPractice, 2(4), 135. doi:10.4103/2279-042x.128141
Boyle, M. F., & Kirkpatrick, D. G. (2012).The healthcare executive`s guide to urgent care centers andfreestanding EDs.
Canon, C. L. (2010). Radiology. New York:McGraw-Hill Medical.
Costigliola, V. (2012). Healthcare overview: Newperspectives. Dordrecht: Springer.
Cucoranu, I. C. (2015). Laboratory Information SystemsManagement and Operations. Surgical Pathology Clinics, 8(2),153-157. doi:10.1016/j.path.2015.02.002
In Parwani, A. V. (2016). Pathology informatics.