Medical Laboratory Technologist Database, 2009 Data Release Data Highlights

Transcription

1 pic pic Medical Laboratory Technologist Database, 2009 Data Release Data Highlights Spending and Health Workforce

2 Who We Are Established in 1994, CIHI is an independent, not-for-profit corporation that provides essential information on Canada s health system and the health of Canadians. Funded by federal, provincial and territorial governments, we are guided by a Board of Directors made up of health leaders across the country. Our Vision To help improve Canada s health system and the well-being of Canadians by being a leading source of unbiased, credible and comparable information that will enable health leaders to make better-informed decisions.

3 Table of Contents Medical Laboratory Technologist Database, 2009 Data Release Data Highlights... 1 Notes to the Reader... 1 Regulation Status... 1 Certification... 1 Workforce Definition... 2 MLTDB 2009 Data Highlights... 2 Workforce Supply and Demographics... 2 Education and Certification... 3 Primary Employment... 3 MLTDB 2009 Data: Focus on the Provinces and Territories... 4 Regulated Provinces in Nova Scotia... 4 New Brunswick... 5 Quebec... 6 Ontario... 7 Manitoba... 8 Saskatchewan... 8 Alberta... 9 Unregulated Provinces and Territories... 10

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5 Medical Laboratory Technologist Database, 2009 Data Release Data Highlights Notes to the Reader Regulation Status The profession of medical laboratory technology is not regulated in all Canadian provinces and territories. As of 2007, the profession has been regulated in seven Canadian provinces: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Consequently, the 2008 and 2009 statistics for these provinces in this data release represent all registered medical laboratory technologists (MLTs) with the provincial regulatory bodies as of August 1 of each year. The profession has not been regulated in the remaining jurisdictions: Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, British Columbia, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Statistics for the medical laboratory technologists in these unregulated provinces and territories may not represent the entire population but, instead, the majority of those who voluntarily registered with the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS). It is the CSMLS that provided data to the Medical Laboratory Technologist Database (MLTDB) on behalf of these jurisdictions. For this reason, it is important to note that statistics presented in this data release for all provinces and territories may not represent the entire population of MLTs or of the MLT workforce in Canada. Certification In order to practise the profession of medical laboratory technology in Canada, MLTs must become certified with the CSMLS, the national certifying body for MLTs, except for Quebec, which has its own certification process. To qualify to write the certification exam offered by the CSMLS, students must first successfully pass the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) accredited medical laboratory technology training program. The CMA-accredited medical laboratory technology training programs incorporate a competency profile established by the CSMLS into their curricula. Currently, MLTs can become certified in one of three areas: general medical laboratory technology, diagnostic cytology or clinical genetics. An MLT can work only in the area in which he or she is certified. After obtaining a CSMLS certification, MLTs may or may not be required to register with the CSMLS. i i. Information is compiled in accordance with the statements on the CSMLS website ( 1

6 In Quebec, to obtain a permit in medical technology for medical biology, applicants must hold a diploma in technologie d analyses biomédicales awarded by an institution recognized by the Ministry of Education of Quebec. They must also have knowledge of the French language appropriate to the practice as a medical laboratory technologist in accordance with the Professional Code of Quebec and the Charter of the French Language. A medical laboratory technologist who has been certified by the CSMLS and wants to practise in Quebec would have to undergo assessment of prior learning with the Ordre professionnel des technologistes médicaux du Québec (OPTMQ). However, if a medical laboratory technologist holds a permit from another regulated province, this individual would be allowed to work in Quebec, after meeting certain conditions (language requirements, record of good conduct, etc.). Workforce Definition One of the purposes of the MLTDB is to provide national standardized data suitable for comparisons between the provinces and territories and to provide information for trending purposes when such data is available. The medical laboratory technologist workforce for a jurisdiction includes the registered medical laboratory technologists who work in the profession for a given year as of August 1. In order to avoid double-counting of the workforce at the national level, secondary registrations with a jurisdiction are removed. ii Consequently, data presented in this publication may be different from data presented by other organizations. We therefore caution readers to be mindful of these differences when comparing data from the MLTDB with other data holdings and publications. MLTDB 2009 Data Highlights Workforce Supply and Demographics In 2009, the registered MLT workforce in Canada was 19,238. This total is composed of 16,609 registered MLTs from the seven regulated provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta) and 2,629 registered MLTs from the unregulated provinces and territories (Newfoundland and Labrador, P.E.I, B.C., the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut). MLTs working in 2009 were predominantly female. In the regulated provinces, female MLTs accounted for 85.7% of the workforce. The average age of the MLTs working in the regulated provinces in 2009 was 44.8 years: 39.7 in Quebec, 43.6 in New Brunswick, 44.9 in Alberta, 45.5 in Nova Scotia, 46.6 in Saskatchewan and 47.4 in both Ontario and Manitoba. ii. In the data submitted for a province or territory, if an MLT is identified as being registered with more than one province/territory and mainly worked outside the submitting province/territory, this membership is then considered secondary registration and removed to avoid interprovincial/territorial duplicates. 2

7 Close to 60% of the 2009 MLT workforce in the regulated provinces was between the ages of 35 and 54. The remaining workforce was almost equally distributed in the younger (20.7%) and older (20.8%) age groups. Education and Certification Most (81.4%) MLTs employed in seven provinces iii and three unregulated territories held their first certification in general medical laboratory technology. Other categories of certification areas included clinical genetics, diagnostic cytology, clinical chemistry, hematology, histology, microbiology, transfusion medicine/science and other. Primary Employment In the regulated provinces, nearly three-quarters (74.1%) of the MLT workforce worked in general hospitals in More than three-quarters (77.0%) of the MLT workforce in the regulated provinces were staff MLTs, who provide hands-on bench-work in laboratories on a daily basis. For all regulated provinces except Saskatchewan in 2009, staff MLT percentages were similar between females (78.1%) and males (70.8%); nevertheless, the percentage of managers in the male group (3.6%) was 1.6 times higher than the percentage of managers in the female group (2.2%). iii. The seven provinces include the regulated provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Alberta, and unregulated provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, P.E.I. and B.C. 3

8 MLTDB 2009 Data: Focus on the Provinces and Territories Regulated Provinces in 2009 Nova Scotia Workforce Supply and Demographics There were 921 MLTs registered in the Nova Scotia MLT workforce in The majority of the MLT workforce in Nova Scotia was female (86.2%), similar to the average for all regulated provinces combined (85.7%). The average age of members in the MLT workforce in Nova Scotia was 45.5 years, slightly higher than the overall average age (44.8 years) for the seven regulated provinces. In Nova Scotia, 20.4% of working MLTs were age 55 or older, similar to the average of the regulated provinces (20.8%). Nevertheless, the youngest group (<35) had fewer (16.1%) working MLTs and the mid-age group (age 35 to 54) had more (63.5%) compared with the combined averages for the regulated provinces (20.7% for the youngest group; 58.3% for the mid-age group). Education and Certification In 2009, the majority (99.0%) of the Nova Scotia MLT workforce held an MLT diploma. Most (98.6%) of the MLT workforce in Nova Scotia received training in Canada while approximately 1% were foreign-trained. Close to 5% of the Nova Scotia MLT workforce graduated from an MLT training program within the past two years. The majority (97.3%) of the Nova Scotia MLT workforce held one certification only. Most (89.1%) MLTs employed in Nova Scotia received their first certification in general medical laboratory technology, higher than the combined average for seven provinces iv and three unregulated territories (81.4%). iv. The seven provinces include the regulated provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Alberta, and unregulated provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, P.E.I. and B.C. 4

9 Primary Employment Most (86.6%) of the Nova Scotia MLT workforce worked in general hospitals in Staff MLTs in Nova Scotia accounted for 88.7% of the workforce, almost 12 percentage points higher than the average (77.0%) for all regulated provinces combined. Of all male MLTs, 8.7% were managers; of all female MLTs, 3.3% were managers. This represents the largest difference in ratio (2.6 times) between the genders in managerial positions across six regulated provinces (except Saskatchewan). More than 90% of the MLT workforce in Nova Scotia provided diagnostic and therapeutic laboratory services at their place of work. The top three areas of practice in which Nova Scotia MLTs worked were clinical chemistry (21.5%), hematology (21.2%) and transfusion medicine/science (20.5%). More than half (55.9%) of the MLT workforce worked in the Health Region of Halifax Health Zone. New Brunswick Workforce Supply and Demographics New Brunswick had 638 MLTs registered in the MLT workforce in The majority of the MLT workforce in New Brunswick was female (89.0%), slightly higher than the average (85.7%) for all regulated provinces combined. The average age of the MLT workforce in New Brunswick was 43.6 years, the second youngest among all regulated provinces. In New Brunswick, members of the MLT workforce who were younger than 35 accounted for 22.1% of the total workforce, the second highest next to Quebec (40.5%) across all regulated provinces. Education and Certification In 2009, a diploma in medical laboratory technology was the only degree held by the MLT workforce in New Brunswick. Less than 5% of the New Brunswick MLT workforce graduated from an MLT training program within the past two years. The majority (92.2%) of the MLT workforce in New Brunswick held a single certification. The majority (89.7%) of the New Brunswick MLT workforce received their first certification in general medical laboratory technology. 5

10 Primary Employment Most (90%) of the New Brunswick MLT workforce were permanent employees in their primary employment. Over three-quarters (77.4%) of the MLT workforce in New Brunswick worked on a full-time basis. Over 90% of the MLT workforce were employed in general hospitals in New Brunswick, the highest percentage among the regulated provinces. Staff MLTs in New Brunswick accounted for 77.7% of the workforce, similar to the average for all regulated provinces combined (77.0%). The percentage (10%) of managers in the male group was 2.5 times higher than in the female group (4%), the second highest ratio after Nova Scotia (2.6 times) across six regulated provinces (except Saskatchewan). More than three-quarters (77.7%) of the MLT workforce provided diagnostic and therapeutic laboratory services in New Brunswick. The top areas in which the New Brunswick MLT workforce practised were clinical chemistry (38.2%), microbiology (14.8%) and hematology (14.6%). Total Usual Weekly Hours of Work Nearly three-quarters (72.9%) of the workforce worked 37.5 hours or longer per week. Quebec Workforce Supply and Demographics In 2009, Quebec had 4,197 MLTs registered in the MLT workforce, accounting for a quarter of the total MLT workforce in the seven regulated provinces. Most (87.3%) of the MLT workforce in Quebec was female, slightly higher than the average for all regulated provinces combined (85.7%). The average age of the MLT workforce in Quebec was 39.7 years, the lowest among all regulated provinces. Quebec had the youngest MLT workforce, compared with other regulated provinces. The youngest age group (<35 years) accounted for 40.5% of the workforce (almost double the average 20.7% for all regulated provinces combined). The percentage of Quebec MLTs who were 55 years or older (12.4%) was only about half of the average for this age group (20.8%) for all regulated provinces. 6

11 Education and Certification In 2009, a diploma in medical laboratory technology was held by almost all members of the MLT workforce in Quebec. Close to 10% of the Quebec MLT workforce were new MLT graduates (those who had graduated within the past two years). Primary Employment More than half (54.6%) of the MLT workforce in Quebec held a full-time job in Most of the Quebec MLT workforce worked in either general hospitals (88.4%) or free-standing diagnostic laboratories (5.0%). Approximately 80% of the MLT workforce in Quebec were staff MLTs. This level was similar to the average for the regulated provinces combined (77.0%) and was the second highest after Nova Scotia (88.7%). About one-third (31.3%) of the MLT workforce worked in the Région de Montréal health region. Ontario Workforce Supply and Demographics Ontario had 6,765 MLTs registered in the MLT workforce in 2009, accounting for 40.7% of the total MLT workforce for the seven regulated provinces combined. Of all regulated provinces, Ontario had the lowest percentage (82.3%) of registered female MLTs in the workforce. Of all regulated provinces in 2009, Ontario and Manitoba had the highest average age (47.4 years) in the MLT workforce. MLTs younger than 35 years accounted for 11.5% of the Ontario MLT workforce, with an almost equal distribution among males (11.4%) and females (11.6%). Education and Certification Compared with the workforces of other provinces and territories, v the Ontario MLT workforce had the lowest proportion of members who held their first certification in general medical laboratory technology (74.1%). However, the Ontario MLT workforce had higher proportions of members first-certified in such other areas as microbiology (5.1%), histology (4.3%), diagnostic cytology (3.9%) and clinical chemistry (3.0%). v. Other provinces and territories include three regulated provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Alberta), three unregulated provinces (Newfoundland and Labrador, P.E.I. and B.C.) and three unregulated territories (the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut). 7

12 Primary Employment In 2009, while most (71.1%) of the Ontario MLT workforce was employed in general hospitals similar to the level for all regulated provinces (74.1%) the proportion (12.0%) of MLTs who worked in public health was almost twice as high as that for all regulated provinces combined (6.5%). Three-quarters (75.1%) of the Ontario MLT workforce were staff MLTs. Of all male MLTs, 3.3% were managers; of all female MLTs, 2.6% were managers. Close to 40% of the Ontario MLT workforce worked in the health regions of Toronto (18.1%), Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant (10.6%) and Champlain (10.5%). Manitoba Workforce Supply and Demographics Manitoba had 1,001 MLTs registered in the MLT workforce in Female MLTs in Manitoba accounted for 84.9% of the workforce. Of all regulated provinces, Manitoba and Ontario had the highest average age (47.4 years) in the MLT workforce in Compared with all other regulated provinces, Manitoba had the largest proportion (27.6%) of the MLT workforce in the 55+ age group, with a similar distribution for both males (27.2%) and females (27.6%). Education and Certification In 2009, most (93.3%) of the Manitoba MLT workforce was Canadian-trained. A small number (2.8%) of the Manitoba MLT workforce had graduated from an MLT training program within the past two years. Primary Employment Due to data limitations, for details regarding Primary Employment for Manitoba, please refer to the Cross-Jurisdictional Data Tables and Jurisdictional Profiles, and to Data Adjustments in the Methodological Notes for this data release. Saskatchewan Workforce Supply and Demographics Saskatchewan had 864 MLTs registered in the MLT workforce in Female MLTs in Saskatchewan accounted for 93.2% of the workforce, the highest proportion across the regulated provinces. 8

13 The average age of the Saskatchewan MLT workforce was 46.6 years. In Saskatchewan, older MLTs (age 55+) accounted for more than one-fifth (21.2%) of the workforce, similar to the average (20.8%) across the regulated provinces; however, younger MLTs represented a lower proportion of the workforce (13.3%) compared with the overall percentage (20.7%) across the regulated provinces. Primary Employment Due to data limitations, for details regarding Primary Employment for Saskatchewan, please refer to the Cross-Jurisdictional Data Tables and Jurisdictional Profiles, and to Data Adjustments in the Methodological Notes for this data release. Alberta Workforce Supply and Demographics Alberta had 2,223 MLTs registered in the MLT workforce in Just over one-tenth of this workforce was male (10.7%) while the female workforce accounted for 89.3%. At 44.9 years, the average age of the Alberta MLT workforce was fairly close to the overall average (44.8 years) for all regulated provinces. In Alberta, both the proportions of MLT workforce members age 55+ (19.7%) and younger than 35 years (18.8%) were lower than the averages for these two groups (nearly 21%) across the regulated provinces. The remainder of the Alberta MLT workforce (61.4%) represented those age 35 to 54. Education and Certification Most of the Alberta MLT workforce (89.2%) held their first MLT certification in general medical laboratory technology, similar to the combined average for seven provinces vi and three territories (81.4%). Primary Employment In 2009, across all regulated provinces combined (74.1%), Alberta had the lowest proportion (50.8%) of the MLT workforce working in general hospitals, reflecting both its organizational structure and unique way of delivering laboratory services. Centralized diagnostic laboratories employed over one-fifth (22.1%) of the MLT workforce, almost four times the average across the regulated provinces (5.8%). The two work settings combined employed nearly three-quarters (72.9%) of the workforce in the province. vi. The seven provinces include the regulated provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Alberta, and the unregulated provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, P.E.I. and B.C. 9

14 Almost three-quarters (73.8%) of the Alberta MLT workforce were staff MLTs, the lowest percentage across all regulated provinces. MLT managers accounted for 3.0% of the Alberta MLT workforce. For both managers and supervisors combined, the proportion increased to 12.6%, at least four percentage points higher than the average (8.2%) across all regulated provinces. Of all male MLTs, 17.7% were managers or supervisors; of all female MLTs, 12.0%. The top three areas of practice in which the Alberta MLT workforce was employed were hematology (27.4%), transfusion medicine/science (19.9%) and specimen procurement/receipt/dispatch (14.8%). Unregulated Provinces and Territories Newfoundland and Labrador, P.E.I., B.C. and Territories (the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut) In 2009, these unregulated provinces and territories had the following number of MLTs registered in the MLT workforce with the CSMLS: Newfoundland and Labrador, 347; P.E.I., 107; B.C., 2,126; the Yukon, 18; the Northwest Territories, 24; and Nunavut, 7. An MLT certification in general medical laboratory technology was the first certification held by over 90% of the registered MLT workforce in Newfoundland and Labrador (90.2%), P.E.I. (92.5%) and the territories (100%); in B.C., the percentage was 88.2%. 10

15 Production of this report is made possible by financial contributions from Health Canada and provincial and territorial governments. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of Health Canada or any provincial or territorial government. The contents of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, provided the intended use is for non-commercial purposes and full acknowledgement is given to the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Canadian Institute for Health Information 495 Richmond Road, Suite 600 Ottawa, Ontario K2A 4H6 Phone: Fax: Canadian Institute for Health Information Cette publication est aussi disponible en français sous le titre Base de données sur les technologistes de laboratoire médical, publication des données de 2009 points saillants.

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