CLSI Releases Guidelines For Training And Competence Assessment

Main Category: Medical Students / Training
Article Date: 20 Feb 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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To assist laboratories and health care organizations in developing training and competence assessment programs that will meet specific quality and regulatory objectives, the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) updated the document Training and Competence Assessment; Approved Guideline-Third Edition (GP21-A3).

GP21-A3 provides a structured approach for using documented work processes, related procedures, training guides, and assessment tools for the development of training and competence assessment programs.

This guideline provides health care service personnel with recommendations for:

- training new employees,
- introducing new processes or methods,
- assessing initial competence, and
- performing periodic reassessments of competence.

Lucia M. Berte, MA, MT(ASCP)SBB, DLM; CQA(ASQ)CMQ/OE, Laboratories Made Better!, and chairholder of the working group that developed the document, says, "This guideline supports quality system essential (QSE) personnel and provides, in one place, information that laboratory management can use to implement effective training and competence programs for all laboratory jobs. One of the hallmarks of professionalism is consistency in performance. The approach described in this guideline provides for more uniform training delivery, which in turn helps ensure higher quality and uniformity in job performance. This guideline is an important tool for laboratory quality; all laboratories should have the guideline and use it."

This document is a revision of GP21-A2, which was published in 2004, and includes some new appendixes and examples of competence assessment plans for laboratory assistants and testing staff not previously published.

A CD-ROM, Training and Competence Assessment Toolkit (GP21-A3-C), providing 16 customizable master forms from the appendixes of GP21-A3, will soon be available for purchase.

For additional information visit the CLSI website at http://www.clsi.org or call +610.688.0100. Preview sample pages.

CLSI, formerly NCCLS, is a volunteer driven, membership supported, nonprofit organization dedicated to developing standards and guidelines for the health care and medical testing community. CLSI's unique consensus process facilitates the creation of standards and guidelines that are reliable, practical, and achievable for an effective quality system.

CLSI