Proud to be the voice of medical laboratory professionals
Research & Advocacy
Always striving to better the profession and serve our members best, CSMLS is involved in a number of advocacy activities and research initiatives on behalf of its members. The CSMLS conducts research to inform policy and decisions affecting medical laboratory professionals, with investigations focused on education, certification, mental health, and health system usage in Canada.
Research
Reports and Select Articles
CSMLS conducts health system- and medical laboratory profession-impacting research and projects driven to
support positive change for its current and future members.
For archived reports, projects and presentations, please contact research@csmls.org with your inquiry.
AdvocacyAdvocacy News, Seen and Heard, Press Releases
CSMLS staff, Board of Directors and volunteers use opportunities throughout the year in various advocacy activities to promote awareness and understanding of medical laboratory professionals and their work. We continue to foster partnerships and ideas that propel the medical laboratory profession forward at provincial and national levels.
Stepping Up to Lead ChangeSpecial Initiatives
Simulation and Clinical Placement
CSMLS has embarked on a long-term initiative to support academic programs, health care organizations and the future medical laboratory workforce in understanding current system gaps. Together, we want to increase the number of MLT students and expedite entry to practice as well as collaborate to create evidence-based results.
Diversity
CSMLS has received funding from the Ontario Bridge Training Program to develop 2-3 diversity products aimed at meeting the specific needs of MLT workplaces in Ontario. Diversity products in this context, may take a variety of forms and include: instructional videos, certifications courses, workshop curriculum, tip sheets and human resources checklists.
MLT Practice
CSMLS received funding to create an online version of the General Medical Laboratory Technologist (MLT) certifying exam by developing three sets of practice exams, creating a total of 600 test questions. The practice exams will help internationally educated medical laboratory technologists (IEMLTs) to practice the certifying exams prior to actually taking the exam. In addition, IEMLTs would be provided with an additional set of resources that will expand their understanding of the test questions.
Mental Health Initiative
With the rapid pace of change occurring within the medical laboratory profession, the impact can negatively affect the mental health of workers. The CSMLS Mental Health Initiative set out to:
- Evaluate the current state of mental health issues in the medical laboratory profession.
- Create the process and associated tools to identify, monitor and support national mental health change in the workforce.
- Understand the mental health experience of MLPs.
Occupational Health and Safety Project
CSMLS undertook a longitudinal review of the occupational injury and disease data produced by the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC) as well as conducted a national survey with CSMLS members regarding occupational health and safety practices.
Choosing Wisely Canada
The CSMLS and University of Alberta (UofA) are partnering on a project to facilitate medical laboratory professional’s participation in reducing unnecessary testing in the healthcare system. This collaboration will involve the creation of a website that is focused on two primary items. First, a compilation of current CW Canada recommendations related to the laboratory along with an educational tool to help practitioners understand how they can influence the use of the recommendations. Second, a profession-specific list of recommendations generated through a multi-pronged engagement process.
MLA Precarious Employment
As the Canadian healthcare system undergoes major transformation across the nation, the effect of the diverse changes on the career of an MLA is largely unknown. In addition, with more information becoming available about the social determinants of health, there is an important connection between precarious working conditions and negative health implications. For example, emotional and mental stress due to job insecurity, task-shifting, and the constant underlying uncertainty due to the current environment of government cuts to healthcare budgets, and subsequently staffing.
Cannabis Legalization
https://csmls.org/research/projects-reports-presentations/special-initiatives/
Canada is only the second nation in the world to legalize cannabis across its land. As such, there is almost no literature describing the medical laboratory experience during such a landmark change. However, legalization of cannabis in Canada has the potential to impact the work conducted by medical laboratory professionals (MLPs). Overall, the health system prepared for legalization through information dissemination, and policies and procedure reviews as encouraged by the government.
Public Awarenesss
National Medical Laboratory Week
We continue the 30-year tradition of sponsoring Medical Laboratory Week to recognize, celebrate and promote medical lab professionals by reaching out to audiences both inside and outside of the lab.
Learn More
Be a Labvocate
Everyone is an advocate. When you talk to people about the work you do in the lab, it’s the first step in advocacy and raising awareness about the profession. Teaching the public about the important work you do for patient care increases the understanding and value of medical laboratory professionals within the health care team. Click here to learn about more resources to help you be a labvocate.
More Resources:
Public Awarenesss
Set yourself up for personal and professional success in medical laboratory science and join a community of over 14,000 of your peers.
National Medical Laboratory Week
We continue the 30-year tradition of sponsoring Medical Laboratory Week to recognize, celebrate and promote medical lab professionals by reaching out to audiences both inside and outside of the lab.
Learn More
Be a Labvocate
Everyone is an advocate. When you talk to people about the work you do in the lab, it’s the first step in advocacy and raising awareness about the profession. Teaching the public about the important work you do for patient care increases the understanding and value of medical laboratory professionals within the health care team. Click here to learn about more resources to help you be a labvocate.
More Resources:
Government Advocacy
CSMLS represents the interest of the profession through ongoing discussion with federal and provincial politicians. Lobby Day and Lab Tours are a vital part of CSMLS’s advocacy campaign to bring awareness and understanding of the profession directly to our provincial and federal decision makers.
Lobby Day
Meeting with elected government officials on your behalf to highlight successes and challenges in the profession on an annual basis. Learn More
Lab Tours
Hosting Members of Parliament in their local riding laboratories so they may witness, first-hand, the significant work accomplished in medical laboratories. Learn More
Government Advocacy
CSMLS represents the interest of the profession through ongoing discussion with federal and provincial politicians. Lobby Day and Lab Tours are a vital part of CSMLS’s advocacy campaign to bring awareness and understanding of the profession directly to our provincial and federal decision makers.
Lobby Day
Meeting with elected government officials on your behalf to highlight successes and challenges in the profession on an annual basis. Learn More
Lab Tours
Hosting Members of Parliament in their local riding laboratories so they may witness, first-hand, the significant work accomplished in medical laboratories. Learn More
Research EthicsResearch EthicsBoard Mandate
CSMLS Research Ethics Review Process
Ensuring the review process is sufficiently rigorous to meet nationally-accepted standards for research involving humans. View Process
Guidelines and Policies
The CSMLS Research Ethics Board (REB) has created a document to communicate its research ethics policies, practices and guidelines for researchers, members and interested observers. View Guidelines and Policies
