Application Fee: $200
Competency in laboratory informatics must be demonstrated through completion of a project. The purpose of this qualification is to assess the competency of the examinee in the technical application of relevant laboratory informatics workflow.
Project Requirements:
- Provide a diagram of your LI architecture to include all components that make up your LI system and network configuration
- Describe in detail (including a diagram) your LIS components showing the direction of data transfer, and what is being transferred
- Describe the impact of each of the six problems on laboratory operations, patient care and costs:
- ADT Functions—Laboratory personnel are unable to enter orders in the LIS on a particular patient. The patient was registered in the hospital system.
- Printing Jobs—Phlebotomy labels for hospital morning collection did not print at their usual, designated time.
- Medical Device Interfaces—A chemistry test has been ordered on a patient. The test does not appear on the appropriate worksheet/work cue after 30 minutes.
- System backup—Database backup indicates that database backup did not run to completion.
- Databases—A new test has been defined in the test database. A test order has been placed in the LIS to verify that the new test is working properly. Orders do not print from the label printer.
- You are on call for LIS support. A portion of the hospital network goes down, taking down the laboratory, hospital switchboard and pharmacy. The network on call person investigates and says that it will be the following morning at 7 a.m. before network personnel will be available to fix this problem.
- For each of the six problems, produce a troubleshooting algorithm (text format, which may include a diagram) including four reasons and possible solutions for each reason
- Describe one solution for each of the six problems that will be most cost effective and least disruptive to patient care and explain why
- Outline a strategy to avoid each of the six problems in the future
To be eligible for this Qualification, an applicant must satisfy the requirements of at least one of the following routes:
Route 1: ASCP technologist or specialist certification and a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college/university and one year of full time acceptable experience in Laboratory Informatics in the U.S., Canada or a CAP/The Joint Commission (JCAHO)/AABB accredited laboratory within the last four years; or
Route 2: MLT(ASCP) or HT(ASCP) certification and two years of full time acceptable clinical laboratory experience and one year full time acceptable experience in Laboratory Informatics in the U.S., Canada or a CAP/The Joint Commission (JCAHO)/AABB accredited laboratory within the last four years; or
Route 3: Baccalaureate degree or higher from a regionally accredited college/university including 16 semester (24 quarter) hours of biological science with one semester of microbiology, 16 semester (24 quarter) hours of chemistry with one semester in organic or biochemistry, one semester (one quarter) of mathematics and two years of full time acceptable clinical laboratory experience in the U.S., Canada or a CAP/The Joint Commission (JCAHO)/AABB accredited laboratory and one year full time acceptable experience in Laboratory Informatics in the U.S., Canada or a CAP/The Joint Commission (JCAHO)/AABB accredited laboratory within the last four years.
*The one year experience may include a three month clinical practicum offered through an accredited college/university and nine months of experience.
To fulfill experience for the Qualification in Laboratory Informatics, the candidate must document experience within the last four years in eight of ten categories below:
- Computer system and data quality assurance
- Database administration
- Hardware/software change management and quality control
- Informatics system disaster recovery
- Interfaces: system to instrument
- Interfaces: system to system
- Policy and procedure development
- Security: physical data and administrative control
- Software installation, validation and maintenance
- System analysis
Experience is also required in six of the ten categories below:
- Billing and charge capture
- Budgeting and cost/benefit analysis
- Coding and nomenclature systems
- Hardware installation and maintenance
- Information system selection and procurement
- LIS user teaching/training
- Network and data communications
- Programming
- Regulatory compliance for clinical information systems and data
- Web site development and maintenance
This Qualification will not, in itself, entitle the individual to membership in ASCP. Individuals must be ASCP certified as a technician, technologist or specialist to be eligible for ASCP membership. Individuals who have been qualified may indicate this qualification through the use of initials in the following manner:
- Mary Smith, QLI (for individuals qualified in laboratory informatics)
- Mary Smith, CT(ASCP)QLI (for individuals who are qualified and who are also ASCP certified)
Time Limits and Revalidation: Candidates who complete the qualification process, including completion of the eligibility requirements and successful completion of the work sample project will receive documentation of their qualification which is valid for five years. This Qualification may be revalidated every five years upon payment of a $50 application fee and completion of 10 contact hours of acceptable continuing education / other activities in the area of the Qualification.