A Study on the Workload of Cytotechnologists: Focus on Commercial Laboratories

The recommended workload for cytotechnologists in Korea is 100 slides per day for hospitals and 120 slides for commercial laboratories per eight-hour workday. Nevertheless, there are no legal regulations regarding workload limits. This study compared the workloads of domestic and international cytot...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Eun-Suk PARK
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: The Korean Society for Clinical Laboratory Science 2025-06-01
Series:Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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Online Access:http://www.kjcls.org/journal/view.html?doi=10.15324/kjcls.2025.57.2.228
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Summary:The recommended workload for cytotechnologists in Korea is 100 slides per day for hospitals and 120 slides for commercial laboratories per eight-hour workday. Nevertheless, there are no legal regulations regarding workload limits. This study compared the workloads of domestic and international cytotechnologists through a literature review, focusing on the background and legislative process of workload limitations in the United States. Although the maximum daily workload for cytotechnologists in the United States and Canada is 100 and 80 slides, respectively, the average daily workload in domestic commercial laboratories is 231.4 slides, indicating a labor-intensive environment. The ratio of atypical squamous cells to squamous intraepithelial lesions, the quality control indicator for cervical cancer screening, has exceeded 5.0 since 2017. This study presents solutions to address the issue of excessive workloads for domestic cytotechnologists, highlighting the need for follow-up research to develop relevant policies.
ISSN:1738-3544