Kamal F Alblwei*, Talal H Alshehri and Abdullah Alzhrani

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Security Forces Hospital Program, Saudi Arabia

*Corresponding Author: Kamal F Alblwei, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Security Forces Hospital Program, Saudi Arabia.

Received: June 14, 2024; Published: July 08, 2024

Abstract

This research examines the impact of sophisticated technology on worker skills, exploring both deskilling and upskilling arguments within the healthcare sector, particularly focusing on laboratory environments. By reviewing existing literature and conducting a survey among laboratory professionals, the study highlights how technological advancements like automated analyzers and Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) affect laboratory technicians' and scientists' capabilities. The findings suggest that while technology can lead to the loss of certain traditional skills, it also necessitates the acquisition of new, often more complex skills. This dynamic is analyzed through theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence, emphasizing the nuanced effects of technology on the modern workforce in healthcare laboratories.

 Keywords: Technological Advancements, Deskilling; Upskilling; Healthcare Laboratories; Worker Skills; Automation; Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS); Diagnostic Tools; Professional Development; Skill Acquisition

References

1. Chirinko RS., et al. “A new approach to estimating production function parameters: the elusive capital–labor substitution elasticity”. Journal of Business and Economic Statistics4 (2011): 587-594.
2. Bratton J. “Introduction to work and organizational behaviour”. London: MacMillan (2015).
3. Marx K. “O Capital”. Sao Paulo: Boitempo (2013).
4. Bhardwaj S. “Technology and the up-skilling or deskilling conundrum”. WMU Journal of Maritime Affairs 2 (2013): 245-253.
5. The Economist. “The third industrial revolution” (2012).
6. Bughin J., et al. “Skill shift: Automation and the future of the workforce”. New York: McKinsey (2018).
7. Brougham D and Haar J. “Employee assessment of their technological redundancy”. Labour and Industry: A Journal of the Social and Economic Relations of Work3 (2017): 213-231.
8. Topol EJ. “High-performance medicine: the convergence of human and artificial intelligence”. Nature Medicine1 (2019): 44-56.
9. Brugger F and Gehrke C. “Skilling and deskilling: technological change in classical economic theory and its empirical evidence”. Theory and Society5 (2018): 663-689.
10. Braverman H. “Labor and Monopoly Capital: The Degradation of Work in the Twentieth Century”. New York: Monthly Review Press (1998).
11. Bell S E., et al. “Manipulated Masculinities: Agribusiness Deskilling and the Rise of the Businessman‐Farmer in the United States”. Rural Sociology3 (2015): 285-313.
12. Ikeler P. “Deskilling emotional labour: Evidence from department store retail”. Work, Employment and Society6 (2016): 966-983.
13. Taylor FW. “Scientific Management”. Abingdon: Routledge (2004).
14. DeWinter J., et al. “Taylorism 2.0: Gamification, scientific management, and the capitalist appropriation of play”. Journal of Gaming and Virtual Worlds2 (2014): 10-127.
15. Cirillo V. “Technology, employment, and skills”. Economics of Innovation and New Technology8 (2017): 734-754.
16. Modestino A S., et al. “Upskilling: do employers demand greater skill when workers are plentiful?” Review of Economics and Statistics (2015): 1-46.
17. Davies HC and Eynon R. “Is digital upskilling the next generation our ‘pipeline to prosperity’?” New Media and Society 11 (2018): 3961-3979.
18. Esposto A. “Upskilling and polarisation in the Australian labour market: a simple analysis”. Australian Bulletin of Labour2 (2011): 191.
19. Kessler S. “AMAZON” (2019).
20. Buntin MB., et al. “The benefits of health information technology: a review of the recent literature shows predominantly positive results”. Health Affairs3 (2011): 464-471.
21. Menachemi N and Collum T H. “Benefits and drawbacks of electronic health record systems”. Risk Management and Healthcare Policy 4 (2011): 47-55.
22. Kruse C S., et al. “Challenges and opportunities of big data in health care: a systematic review”. JMIR Medical Informatics4 (2016): e38.
23. Gagnon M P., et al. “Systematic review of factors influencing the adoption of information and communication technologies by healthcare professionals”. Journal of Medical Systems1 (2012): 241-277.
24. Friedberg MW., et al. “Factors affecting physician professional satisfaction and their implications for patient care, health systems, and health policy”. Rand Health Quarterly4 (2013).
25. Topol E J. “High-performance medicine: the convergence of human and artificial intelligence”. Nature Medicine 1 (2019): 44-56.

Citation

Citation: Kamal F Alblwei., et al. “Impact of Sophisticated Technology on Worker Skills in Healthcare Laboratories”.Acta Scientific Medical Sciences 8.8 (2024): 42-47.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2024 Kamal F Alblwei., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.