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- CAP President Speaks Out Against Cytotechnologist Name Change During Open Hearing
On July 21, CAP President Emily E. Volk, MD, FCAP gave testimony to the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs opposing a name change to “cytologists” for cytotechnologists during an open hearing on the Standards and Guidelines for Accreditation of Educational Programs in Cytology.
The CAP opposes the interchangeability between the professional designations of “cytotechnologist” and “cytologist.” The term “cytotechnologist” has been in use since the 1950s, to describe a medical professional trained in the identification of cells and cellular abnormalities. For weeks, the CAP has been sounding the alarm encouraging members to submit written comments opposing the name change to eliminate confusion over roles and responsibilities in the laboratory workflow and remove the potential of jeopardizing individual patient health outcomes.
Dr. Volk stated: “We believe clarity in language pertaining to the variety of roles in the clinical laboratory is important as it potentially impacts government regulations, health care policy, as well as patients. If adopted, we are concerned this would increase the likelihood of role confusion and mislead healthcare policymakers, regulators, and patients. As pathologists, we find that this proposed name change runs counter to our efforts to create clarity in terminology in pathology and laboratory medicine.”