Evolution of Phlebotomy

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Course Objectives
  •  Describe how the profession of phlebotomy has evolved from historical bloodletting practices to modern evidence-based healthcare.
  • Recognize the knowledge, skills, and professional behaviors that support competency, patient safety, and high-quality specimen collection.
  • Apply principles of professionalism, patient-centered communication, ethical practice, and confidentiality to support safe and effective patient care.
Course Content
Course Creator: Kirsten Hermens NCMA-P
Total CE Hours: 1 Credit Hour 
Pace Course #: 586-2107-24 until 9/30/2026 then  
586-2705-26  until 9/30/2028

  1. Key Terms 
    1. Bloodletting
    2. Therapeutic Phlebotomy
    3. Evidence-Based Practice
    4. Professional Competency
    5. Patient-Centered Care
    6. Specimen Quality
    7. Protected Health Information (PHI)
    8. HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
    9. Professionalism
    10. Lifelong Learning

 Introduction
Key Terminology
Why the profession has evolved
    • Why study the evolution of phlebotomy
    •  The evolution of the profession
    •  What is bloodletting
      • The four Humors
        •  Bloodletting methods
        •  Barbers and phlebotomy
        •  Famous bloodletting failures
        •  From bloodletting to therapeutic phlebotomy
    •  Why it matters today
  2. Phlebotomy Today: The Modern Role of the Phlebotomist
    • Phlebotomy Today 
      • The modern Role has expanded
      • How modern practice has changed
      • Why it matters today
  3. The future of Phlebotomy 
    • Digital technology and animation
    • Expanding access to care
    • Advanced collection technology
    • Faster testing and Future trending
    • Will technology replace phlebotomists?
    • Why it matters today
  4. Growing with the profession
    • Why continuing education matters
      • Building professional competency
        • Foundational Knowledge
        •  Technical excellence
        •  Lifelong professional growth
        •  Professional readiness
        •  Why it matters today
  5. Professional Practice: Putting competency into practice
    1. Professionalism in phlebotomy
    2.  Characteristics of a professional phlebotomist
    3.  Providing excellent bedside manner
    4.  Difficult patient encounters
  6. Patient Rights and Confidentiality: protecting patient trust
    • Respecting Patient Rights 
      • Protecting patient trust
      • Understanding Protected Health Information
      • HIPAA in everyday practice
      • Why it matters today
      • The profession will continue to evolve
      • The Modern Phlebotomist
 
References:
 
  1. World Health Organization. (2010). WHO guidelines on drawing blood: Best practices in phlebotomy. World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/44294
  2. Greenstone, B. H. (2010). History of bloodletting. British Columbia Medical Journal, 52(1), 12–14.
  3. National Library of Medicine. (n.d.). The four humors. U.S. National Library of Medicine. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/shakespeare-and-the-four-humors/
  4. Vadakan, V. V. (2004). The asphyxiating and exsanguinating death of President George Washington. The Permanente Journal, 8(2), 78–79.
  5. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. (2017). Collection of diagnostic venous blood specimens (7th ed., CLSI Standard GP41). Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute.
  6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Collecting and labeling specimens from people with possible exposure to chemical agents. https://www.cdc.gov/laboratory-response-network/php/chemical/specimen-collection.html
  7. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. (2020). Procedures for the collection of diagnostic capillary blood specimens(7th ed., CLSI Standard GP42). Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute.
  8. Lippi, G., Chance, J. J., Church, S., Dazzi, P., Fontana, R., Giavarina, D., Grankvist, K., Huisman, W., Kouri, T., Palicka, V., Plebani, M., Sandberg, S., & Sikaris, K. (2011). Preanalytical quality improvement: From dream to reality. Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, 49(7), 1113–1126. https://doi.org/10.1515/CCLM.2011.600
  9. Plebani, M. (2006). Errors in clinical laboratories or errors in laboratory medicine? Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, 44(6), 750–759. https://doi.org/10.1515/CCLM.2006.123
  10. Institute of Medicine. (2001). Crossing the quality chasm: A new health system for the 21st century. National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/10027
  11. Nichols, J. H., Alter, D., Chen, Y., Isbell, T. S., Jacobs, E., Moore, N., Shajani-Yi, Z., & Grenache, D. G. (2020). AACC guidance document on management of point-of-care testing. The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine, 5(4), 762–787. https://doi.org/10.1093/jalm/jfaa059 
  12. Docherty, J. R., Mander, A. P., & colleagues. (2021). Microsampling technologies: Current applications and future directions. Bioanalysis, 13(16), 1275–1290.
  13. Hou, H., Zhang, R., & Li, J. (2024). Artificial intelligence in the clinical laboratory. Clinica Chimica Acta, 559, 119724. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cca.2024.119724
  14. World Health Organization. (2021). Global patient safety action plan 2021–2030: Towards eliminating avoidable harm in health care. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240032705
  15. National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences. (2023). Standards for accredited and approved programs. https://www.naacls.org
  16. American Society for Clinical Pathology. (2023). Credential Maintenance Program (CMP). https://www.ascp.org
  17. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. (2024). Health information privacy. https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/
  18. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2024). Bloodborne pathogens standard (29 CFR §1910.1030). U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.osha.gov/bloodborne-pathogens
  19. Institute for Healthcare Improvement. (n.d.). Science of improvement: How to improve. https://www.ihi.org

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