A Looming Crisis in Laboratory Staffing

A widespread shortage of clinical laboratory professionals is causing a crisis in the United States, according to the Clinical Laboratory Management Association (CLMA).

The number of clinical laboratory science programs has decreased by 53% over the past decade, producing fewer graduates, including medical technologists, medical technicians, clinical laboratory scientists, and clinical laboratory technologists. The programs remaining are expected to produce 50% fewer graduates a year, which would result in a shortage of 5,000.

Making matters worse, many laboratory professionals are retiring or leaving the laboratory to work for pharmaceutical companies, computer companies, and other high-profile areas that offer higher salaries, more opportunities, and fewer regulatory constraints. Low pay, lack of recognition, stressful working conditions, and the risk of infection and exposure have all contributed to the declining pool of certified laboratorians in the country.

Laboratory professionals are crucial to health-care delivery. They perform a full range of the laboratory tests that help doctors reach their diagnoses. According to the U.S. Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN, USA), laboratory test results contribute up to 70% to decisions made by doctors about patient care.




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