[View of Clinical Laboratory Physician on Pathophysiological Analysis by Close Cooperation of Clinical Laboratory and Ultrasonography.]

I want to give my opinion on what ultrasonography and the clinical laboratory should be to improve medical care. First, the close collaboration between ultrasonography and the clinical laboratory is the most im- portant. The development of technology and translation into the hands of medical technologists have been increasing the usefulness of ultrasonography to provide information for medical care. So, information should be used to interpret and report, respectively. The clinical research should be driven forward by collabora- tion and will result in improving medical care. Second, the system and culture of quality assurance should be established for ultrasonography as was done for clinical chemistry, hematology, etc. At that time, medical technologists who performed ultrasonography had to be aware that their abilities would be evaluated by oth- ers. Finally, it is important for medical technologists to educate young doctors not only on how to perform ultrasonography but also how to interpret images, because ultrasonography has been moving into the hands of medical technologists from doctors. Their sensitivity and view of life affect their works. I am sure of their importance in the clinical laboratory.