Clinical hematology involves applying research on blood and organ systems to manage patients with blood-related diseases, including anemias and blood-borne diseases. Hematologists may work in transplant science, blood sample analysis, and the diagnosis and treatment of blood-related disorders. Specialties include transplant medicine, pediatrics, and pathology. Training and scholarships are available, and practitioners may belong to organizations that advance the practice of clinical hematology.
Clinical hematology is the application of research on blood and associated organ systems to the clinical management of patients with diseases of the blood and organ systems. This includes everything from managing patients with genetic anemias to treating patients with acquired blood-borne diseases such as some forms of hepatitis. Clinical hematologists typically pursue training in internal medicine with an additional fellowship in hematology to prepare for practice.
Professionals in the field of clinical hematology may work in a number of different areas. An important application for hematology research is in blood, organ and tissue transplantation. Transplant science relies heavily on understanding antibodies and antigens and requires careful matching between donors and recipients to reduce the risk of a bad transfusion or transplant reaction. A clinical hematologist may be a consultant on a transplant case and is involved in the typing process to match suitable donors with recipient matches.
Many large hospitals and laboratories also have a clinical hematology facility for blood sample analysis. Hematologists may perform a variety of tests to look for evidence of disease and provide basic information about a patient’s blood chemistry. This can include quick turnaround testing and more detailed analysis. Because blood can provide a great deal of information about a patient’s condition, such laboratories can be extremely busy with many different types of patient samples. These can include samples from facilities with limited equipment that cannot perform a full analysis on a complex or questionable sample.
This field also involves the accurate diagnosis and treatment of blood-related disorders such as anemias, some cancers, and bleeding disorders. Clinical hematology professionals can evaluate patients, develop treatment plans, and provide education for patients and their families. They may also treat blood-borne diseases and may be involved in developing protocols to limit the spread of disease or address emerging epidemics that appear to be transmitted through blood.
Areas of specialty within clinical hematology include transplant medicine, pediatrics, and pathology. Researchers and practitioners can work together on tasks such as clinical trials, diagnosing new emerging diseases, and more effective patient management. Numerous facilities offer training and scholarships, some of which can be very competitive with world-renowned facilities with industry leaders among their faculty. Practitioners in this field may belong to organizations that advance the practice of clinical hematology and provide resources such as peer-reviewed journals, conferences, and other events for education and networking.
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