The Interdisciplinary Role of Medical Laboratories in Enhancing Patient Care: A Collaborative Approach with Family Medicine, Dentistry, Emergency Services, Dermatology, and Medical Secretaries

Abstract

The medical laboratory contributes immensely to patient care through diagnostic services to inform clinical decisions. Beyond their core competencies as professionals, laboratory personnel interact with practically all disciples of healthcare, including family medicine, dental, emergency departments, dermatologists, and medical administrative personnel, among others. That makes the interprofessional practice of this discipline very effective in assuring proper ordering, interpretation, and integration into treatment plans for salutary patient outcomes. This paper explores how medical laboratories coordinate with different health providers and further ascertains the various benefits that accrue in the relationship toward optimizing care delivery, diagnostic precision, and treatment success.