Microlearning Scenarios Strengthen Awareness of ETU Practices

The American Journal of Clinical Pathology (AJCP) recently published an article on the breadth and impact of education increasing awareness of best practices for effective test utilization (ETU). This article describes the results of over 8,000 learners completing ASCP’s free course, Case-Based Best Practices in Effective Test Utilization for Clinical Laboratories, bearing 1 CME/CMLE credit. The course presents real-world scenarios paired with concise, practical explanations. The cases were designed by laboratory leaders from the ASCP Quality & Patient Safety Committee as well as past ETU champions, and the course was developed with funding through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Assessment results presented in the article confirm strong evidence of increased awareness and knowledge gain of evidence-based testing practices. While the majority of learners were identified as medical laboratory scientists, all members of the medical laboratory team are encouraged to take this course to increase their knowledge bases around various aspects of ETU. This education helps ensure that a culture of ETU becomes common practice to benefit both laboratory systems and patient care. The published study also demonstrates the value of applying microlearning-based education towards laboratory populations.