What's in a Name?
Last week, a conversation on the MedLab Listserv caught my eye. A listserv member noted that his laboratory is considering changing their name from "Automated Lab" to something a little more descriptive, in part to allow for a little more pride from lab professionals.
Laboratorians, like any professionals, want to be respected. For the kind of valuable behind-the-scenes work that takes place in the clinical lab, unfortunately, that respect often has to be worked for. And when plenty of patients, physicians and other healthcare practitioners have little understanding of what happens in the clinical lab, a name that reflects the analytical skills and critical thinking that occurs could be of value.
Does "Automated Lab" sound too much like specimens go in and out without the need for any input from the highly-trained professionals in the lab? What does your facility call itself (particularly hospital labs)? Does it matter?