What are mobile phlebotomy services? Is there such an arrangement where blood can be collected outside of the usual laboratory setting? Mobility is often our measure of success and utility of today’s technology. Gadgetry typically finds higher adoptability if it can be transported anywhere without losing its functionality. Similarly, given the ubiquitous presence of mobile technology, it is becoming more and more practical for certain procedures to be performed at the convenience of the recipient rather than the one administering it. In the past blood samples are only taken in medical settings, but today phlebotomists, or health professionals who collect blood through venipuncture (incision on the veins) can call on patients if the latter’s circumstances so require.
Mobile phlebotomy services are critical for people who have been incapacitated, like those who are suffering from pulmonary edema or severe iron deficiency. Moving them about in their impaired state may increase their chances of sustaining injury. Even though it would be not as cost-efficient to get someone over from the laboratory, the hassle – and maybe even the life – saved is well worth the price of paying phlebotomists to make calls.
Patients who regularly require blood workups also benefit from this portable set-up. Diabetics, for example, would need regular blood checkups; getting them to and from the laboratory entails long wait times and the inconvenience of transport. Nursing homes and special care centers are also another segment that greatly benefit from mobile phlebotomy services because this saves them the hassle of moving infirm patients for a simple workup.
More than the hassle, moving the patient to where the laboratory is located makes them exposed to pathogens that they may easily acquire because of their infirm condition. The procedure is also very brief such that it does not appear justified to require parties concerned to prepare for what otherwise would be a very short laboratory procedure.
Mobile phlebotomy services however are not only for the home bond; they are also very relevant to ambulatory patients who otherwise do not have time to go to the laboratory for a brief work-up. In corporate settings for example, phlebotomists usually work onsite to collect blood from employees while they are on break. This is more cost-efficient as thousands of employees can be tested en masse without unnecessarily spending valuable time away from work.
Mobile phlebotomists collect, identify and label blood wherever the patient is located, bring the specimen to the laboratory for analysis, and communicate the results to the attending physicians. Given the ease with which sensitive specimens can now be preserved while on transit, collecting and transporting blood hygienically is becoming standard practice even for those who are outside clinical settings.
For practitioners who want to know what are mobile phlebotomy services, the answer is rather straightforward: As a professional, you go to the patient to collect blood rather than the patient getting to you.