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Review
. 2023 Apr 12:80:11266.
doi: 10.3389/bjbs.2023.11266. eCollection 2023.

A Review of Clinical Laboratory Education, Training and Progression: Historical Challenges, the Impact of COVID-19 and Future Considerations

Claudia Pearse  1 , Sheri Scott  1
Affiliations
Review

A Review of Clinical Laboratory Education, Training and Progression: Historical Challenges, the Impact of COVID-19 and Future Considerations

Claudia Pearse et al. Br J Biomed Sci. .

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic had a wide global impact on society, including the clinical laboratory workforce. This historically underrepresented group of highly skilled professionals have now started to gain the attention they deserve. There had already been dramatic changes to laboratory training over the past 2 decades resulting from advances in technology, changes to service needs, and as a consequence of Pathology reform initiatives. The pandemic has had an additional impact. Higher education institutions and students adapted to emergency remote teaching. Clinical laboratories faced unprecedented challenges to meet COVID-19 testing demands and adjust to new ways of working whilst maintaining their usual high quality service provision. Training, assessment, and development arrangements had to convert to online platforms to maintain social distancing. The pandemic also had a global impact on mental health and wellbeing, further impacting learning/training. Despite these challenges, there have been many positive outcomes. This review highlights pre- and post-pandemic training and assessment for clinical laboratory professionals, with particular emphasis on Biomedical Scientists, outlining recent improvements among a history of challenges. There is increasing interest surrounding this vital workforce, accelerated thanks to the pandemic. This new public platform has emphasised the importance of quality diagnostic services in the patient pathway and in the response to national crises. The ability to maintain a quality service that is prepared for the future is grounded in the effective training and development of its staff. All of which can only be achieved with a workforce that is sustainable, invested in, and given a voice.

Keywords: COVID-19; HCPC registration; biomedical science and healthcare science; biomedical scientist; clinical laboratory; education; professional development; training.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Taken with permission from The National School of Healthcare Science and the AHCS. Showing the NHS England Modernising Scientific Careers framework with adaptations as agreed by the AHCS. Including pathways for support staff (Healthcare Science Assistants/Associates; HSAs), Biomedical Scientists/Healthcare Science Practitioners (HCSPs), and Clinical Scientists. There are various entry routes, these include: apprenticeships, undergraduate, graduate, in service, and equivalence progression routes (40).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Summary of routes to HCPC registration as a biomedical scientist. *Institute of Biomedical Science **Health and Care Professions Council.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Summary of variables that impact online course delivery and the Learner’s experience.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Summary of key challenges pre COVID-19, during COVID-19, and the future outlook for education, training and progression in clinical laboratories. *Health and Care Professions Council **Emergency Remote Teaching.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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