MTOE or TDA, what’s been your best/worst Clin Lab service support experience? What would you change to make it better?

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 09:29:54 -0500

I am pretty sure that at
some point during your service you’ve had some type of blood work done or
you’ve required some type of Clinical Laboratory service, either for yourself
or a dependant. This means you’ve had to
interact with a Clinical Laboratory Scientist or Phlebotomy professional. As a
Clinical Laboratory Officer, it is one of my goals to improve our customer
experience and I would encourage you to share your best and worst occurrence
and what would you do to make it better.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 19 at 2013 10:59 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 10:59:37 -0500

Sir, let me tell you a short story. Unfortunately, I have a vasovagal response to needles -- I can't do anything except prepare myself for the reaction. By the way, for those that don't understand what this is, look it up, but I don't freak out and cry at the site of needles; that's Trypanophobia. I do get light headed sometimes -- not always.

So, I inform anyone who will be sticking me that I may have this response and that I would like to mitigate it by sitting for a little bit to wait for it to pass, or I ask to lie down. As you probably know, how the medical personnel react to such news can affect the patient. Calm = positive, or lessened reaction; Panicked = negative, or worsened reaction.

The worst reaction I've ever had was when I was going through SRP. I mentally and physically prepared for what I knew was to come -- shots, and lots of 'em. I ate a good meal that morning, drank lots of fluids, thought happy thoughts ...

When I told the the technician that I have this vasovagal syncope response, she immediately began to panic. She kept telling me not to faint on her. In the short amount of time it took her to prep me and the shots, she had onlookers due to her overreaction. I mean, it was unprofessional. I started feeling lightheaded before she even stuck me because the intense anticipation of my own reaction. It was ridiculous. I barely made it out of that seat alive. I stayed calm outwardly, but physically I was going through the ringer. It was all I could do to stay conscious. She finally let me transition to the floor, and I leveled out. The overall experience was humiliating, and it could have been easily avoided. How many times during phlebotomy class do the instructors say, "Whatever you do, make a scene and panic -- it comforts your patient."?

Normally the tech will just ask if I'd rather him/her administer the shot with me lying down, which 9 out of 10 times I take that option. Or they just tell me it's okay and to take as much time as I need. Bottom line, they stay calm. The staying calm is more of the status quo from what I've seen, and for that, I'm grateful.

Now, if we're talking about the customer service provided by the administrative assistants or the people sitting at the front desk of just about any Army clinic, then that's another matter altogether. It's rare I come across any of them who are polite and courteous. Most forget that we are NOT their soldiers -- we are patients, customers. It's not basic training. I'm sick or hurt, what's your excuse? I don't care if you've dealt with 10 whinny, sad-sack soldiers that morning, you need to treat number 11 as if he's the first. whether you like it or not you're in the customer service business, and you're getting paid for it too. My wife is never treated 10% as bad when she visits a doctor's office in the civilian sector.