Statistics

2014 Health Manpower Survey

Summary of the Characteristics of Medical Laboratory Technologists Enumerated

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I. Medical Laboratory Technologists Covered

1.1  The medical laboratory technologists covered in the 2014 HMS were medical laboratory technologists registered with the Medical Laboratory Technologists Board of Hong Kong under the Supplementary Medical Professions Ordinance (Chapter 359) as at the survey reference date - 31.3.2014.

1.2  The number of medical laboratory technologists covered was 3 084.

1.3  Of the 3 084 medical laboratory technologists covered, 1 109 had responded to the survey, giving an overall response rate of 36.0%. Among the respondents, 966 (87.1%) were economically active*† (active) in the local medical laboratory technology profession as at 31.3.2014 and 143 (12.9%) reported that they were economically inactive*‡ (inactive) in the local medical laboratory technology profession (Chart A) . .

1.4  Of the 966 active medical laboratory technologists, 944 (97.7%) were practising in the local medical laboratory technology profession, 14 (1.4%) were seeking jobs and eight (0.8%) were waiting to take up new jobs, expecting to return to their original jobs or believed that work was not available in the local medical laboratory technology profession during the 30 days before the survey. The survey results presented in paragraph 1.6 below were based on the 944 responding medical laboratory technologists who were practising in the local medical laboratory technology profession as at 31.3.2014. As certain questionnaires contained missing information, percentages presented below may not add up to 100%.

*   In the survey, the criteria used in defining economically active / inactive followed those recommended by the International Labour Organization, which are also being used by the Census and Statistics Department in Hong Kong.

†  "Economically active" medical laboratory technologists comprised all "employed" and "unemployed" medical laboratory technologists. "Employed" medical laboratory technologists referred to those medical laboratory technologists practising in the medical laboratory technology profession in Hong Kong during the survey period, while "unemployed" medical laboratory technologists referred to those medical laboratory technologists who (a) were not practising in the local medical laboratory technology profession during the survey period; (b) had been available for work during the seven days before the survey; and (c) had sought work in the local medical laboratory technology profession during the 30 days before the survey.

‡   "Economically inactive" medical laboratory technologists comprised the medical laboratory technologists who were not practising in the medical laboratory technology profession in Hong Kong during the survey period, excluding those who had been on leave during the survey period and who were "economically active" but "unemployed".

Chart A : Activity Status of Medical Laboratory Technologists Covered

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1.5   Of the 143 inactive medical laboratory technologists, 16 reported practising overseas, 11 reported practising in the Mainland and 110 reported not seeking jobs in the local medical laboratory technology profession during the 30 days before the survey (Chart A). Among the 110 inactive medical laboratory technologists who reported not seeking jobs, the main reasons reported for not seeking jobs included: 65 (59.1%) were working in other professions, 18 (16.4%) were retired, 14 (12.7%) were engaged in household duties, nine (8.2%) were undertaking study and four (3.6%) wanted to take rest / had no motive to work / had no financial need.

1.6   Of the 944 active medical laboratory technologists enumerated, 439 (46.5%) were male and 505 (53.5%) were female, giving an overall sex ratio (males per 100 females) of 87. Apart from 15 medical laboratory technologists who did not indicate age, the median age of the remaining 929 active medical laboratory technologists enumerated was 44.0 years. The median age of the active female medical laboratory technologists enumerated was 41.0 years and that of their male counterparts was 46.0 years.

1.7   The responding active medical laboratory technologists were requested to indicate the characteristics of their main jobs*. Distribution of the main job by sector showed that larger proportion (46.1%) of active medical laboratory technologists were working in the Hospital Authority, followed by those working in the private sector (36.2%), the Government (9.0%) and the academic and subvented sectors (8.4%).

1.8   The median age of the active medical laboratory technologists enumerated was 45.0 years for those working in the Government or private sector, followed by 44.0 years for those working in the academic and subvented sectors and 43.0 years in the Hospital Authority.

1.9   Of the 944 active medical laboratory technologists enumerated, 80.1% spent most of their working time on medical laboratory tests, followed by 14.4% on administration / management, 3.5% on research and 1.4% on teaching.

1.10   The median number of hours of work (excluding meal breaks) per week of the 944 active medical laboratory technologists enumerated was 44.0 hours. Among them, 166 (17.6%) medical laboratory technologists were required to undertake on-call duty (excluding normal duty), with a median of 11.5 hours of on-call duty (excluding normal duty) per week.

1.11   Of the 944 active medical laboratory technologists enumerated, 32.2% held Bachelor’s Degree, 30.7% held Diploma / Higher Diploma, 20.0% held Certificate of Competence / Ordinary Certificate / Higher Certificate and 15.7% held Certificate issued by the Medical Laboratory Technologists Board as their basic qualifications.

1.12   Of the 944 active medical laboratory technologists enumerated, 688 (72.9%) received / were receiving additional training. Of the 688 active medical laboratory technologists with additional training, 26 (3.8%) had not yet completed the additional training, 151 (21.9%) held Bachelor’s Degree and 382 (55.5%) held Master’s Degree as the highest qualification.

*  Main jobs referred to the jobs in which the medical laboratory technologists had spent most of their working time.

1.13   Among those medical laboratory technologists who received / were receiving additional training, some of them selected more than one field of additional training. The total number of count of active medical laboratory technologists who received / were receiving additional training was 1 142, in which 22.9% were trained / receiving training in biomedical sciences, 22.4% in medical laboratory sciences, 12.0% in medical microbiology, 11.6% in medical laboratory technology, 9.5% in haematology and serology and 8.1% in pathology.

1.14   Of the 688 active medical laboratory technologists who received / were receiving additional training, 447 (65.0%) were trained / receiving training in one field. Among them, 29.3% were trained / receiving training in biomedical sciences, 27.7% in medical laboratory sciences, 10.1% in medical microbiology, 7.6% in medical laboratory technology, 6.3% in haematology and serology, 4.9% in pathology, 3.8% in health care management / health services management.

1.15   Regarding Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities, 679 (71.9%) of the active medical laboratory technologists reported that they had participated in CPD activities in 2014, 240 (25.4%) had not participated in any CPD activities and 25 (2.6%) did not report whether they had participated in any CPD activities or not. Among the 679 active medical laboratory technologists enumerated who had participated in CPD activities, the distribution of CPD credits attained in the past 12 months was: 1 to 10 credits (54.1%), 11 to 20 credits (31.7%) and 21 to 30 credits (8.8%).

II.   Trend Analysis

2.1   Comparison of findings of the 2014 HMS with those surveys before 2004 should be made with caution as the survey methods and reference date had been changed.

2.2   With the enactment of the Medical Laboratory Technologists (Registration and Disciplinary Procedure) Regulations (Chapter 359A), registration of medical laboratory technologists commenced on 1 October 1990 while disciplinary control of the profession was effective on 1 August 1991, it is mandatory for a person practising medical laboratory technology in Hong Kong to hold a valid practising certificate. Between 1992 and 2014, the number of medical laboratory technologists increased from 2 031 to 3 084 (Chart B) .

2.3   The sex ratio (males per 100 females) of active medical laboratory technologists enumerated decreased from 151 in 1982 to 87 in 2014 (Table A) .

Chart B :   Number of Medical Laboratory Technologists Covered by Year (1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011 and 2014)

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Note:

Figures of the year 2000 and before refer to the number of medical laboratory technologists registered with the Medical Laboratory Technologists Board of Hong Kong as at the 1st of July of the respective years, whereas the figures of 2004 to 2014 refer to that as at the 31st of March of the respective years.

2.4   The mean age of the active medical laboratory technologists enumerated increased from 31.6 years in 1982 to 43.3 years in 2014.

2.5   From 1984 to 1990, the largest proportion of active medical laboratory technologists enumerated was working in the Government, which accounted for about 40% and the remaining medical laboratory technologists worked in the private, academic and subvented sectors. Since its setup in 1991, the Hospital Authority has been the largest employer covering 46.1% of active medical laboratory technologists in 2014, while the proportion of active medical laboratory technologists employed in the Government was 9.0%. The proportion of active medical laboratory technologists working in the private sector increased from 13.1% in 1982 to 36.2% in 2014. During the same period, the proportion of active medical laboratory technologists working in the academic and subvented sectors* decreased from 49.2% to 8.4%.

*  Included academic and subvented sectors. Military was included in the 1987 HMS and 1996 HMS.

Table A : Selected Characteristics of Active Medical Laboratory Technologists Enumerated (1982, 1984, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011 and 2014)

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