Competency database

We use MediaLab (www.medialab.com) and it is a lifesaver.  All of your policies and procedure can go in there, and be date stamped for version changes to show inspectors. Create your training modules for staff competencies on your testing platforms.  It keeps up with your initial/ 6 month/ annuals based on the anniversary date of the initial training.  That is just a start, it also has CAP pre-check to get you prepared for inspections.  MediaLab updates any changes from CAP with hotfixes.  Better than any paper-based system or loosing a spreadsheet file in a CPU crash or upgrade.

Hi Gayle,

For waived testing our initial self-made database went by the wayside some time ago. POCCs do not not 'track' dates of competency/due dates. Each testing site are given excel sheets to use for tracking their own testing site competencies. Auditing for 100% competency is part of the routine checklist along with QC, etc. Based on pricing that came back a couple of years ago, the lab decided it was too expensive to include WT in a subscription/commercial product. We can't afford to pay for the # of operators we have performing WT.

We have far fewer performing moderate testing. The lab set up those operators in the  commercially available CAP Competency Assessment Program. It's the subscription used for clinical lab competency assessment as well.

All of my competencies are in Telcor QML.  I use the operator list and QML removes access if an operator is expired.  I can set up 6mth, 1 year and annual times.  I love it!  I do need to collect paper/ in person competency for all moderately complex testing but I do not re-certify until I have it. 

David,

What devices do you manage through Telcor?

Hi David,

How do you manage those tests that do not go through Telcor QML, i.e., manual tests or devices that are not interfaced.

Thank you, Peggy!

Thank you all!!  This information is very helpful!

Sam,

How do you document direct observation and record review using Media Lab?  Do you get into each RN's profile and date them?  Thanks!

Gayle, I built dummy test in Telcor and certify users to them.  this will keep track of the certification periods.  I have to meet with the users and manually do the recert.  it definitely helps keep record of users and certifications.

Terry,

I have I-STAT, Nova glucose and Lactate, Roche Coaguchek interfaced.  I used Telcor for AXOV, cliniteck Status that are not interfaced, just for managing  certification and compliance. 

I use our hospitals HealthStream system to track.

I have each clinic and nursing unit tell me who (by group RN, LNA, ER tech ect) needs to be assigned to what Waived test. They are assigned out as needed. The annual ones go out in April and they have 3 months to complete. Staff is repeatedly alerted to their assignment. If they are not completed, I am notified along with their manager/director.

Our clinical nurse educators assign the initial and 6mo trainings as they go through initial orientation/training.

I am the owner of the applications, both direct observation and test. I can update them whenever we have policy or procedural updates.

I have RN leaders that are deemed competent by my clinical nurse educators and then become evaluators for the rest of the unit that is assigned to them (this is documented in HealthStream for the observation piece)

It is not perfect. But coming into a totally paper and not auditable process, this is where I am 18 months into this position.

Thanks everyone!!

Hello Don,

So, with Direct Observations, one would open an assessment. In the attached photo is how completed, in-process and overdue assignment appear.  When a specific assessment is opened there are "tasks" where both the trainer/reviewer/assignee can comment on during the review.  Say a "Blind Sample" was performed, you can set up a task which would have a window to document that task (direct observation with results). PPE usage, reading SOPs and such can be entered which both the trainer and assignee must sign off that it was performed (or assignee agrees that task was presented).  Once all tasks in that assessment have been completed, the full assignment moves from yellow (or red) to green.

When the assignment has been completed, ML sends a compiled list of completions.  At this point we activate access to analyzers in Telcor/QML.  Depending on complexity, ML knows how to set up the six-month and annual competencies based on CLIA/CAP requirements.  Those who are coming up on competencies are emailed to inform them, and those overdue are also emailed about being overdue.

As ML and other platforms (Telcor/RALS) do not communicate with each other, at times access to analyzers may become inactivated prior to or after the competency due date.  When it comes to manually entered results, a monthly report is pulled and reviewed against ML competencies to see if the user was still "competent" during that month of testing.

  MediaLab Competency.JPG

I hope that this helps.

Sam

We use QML to keep track of our competencies similar to David.  We have QML set up for initial training & yearly for waived and initial training, 6mos (x2) & yearly for mod.  I added all of my manual tests in QML and assign them to the operators access for competency tracking.  Every month we pull a report of operator expiration list and send it to the nurse managers and POCT resources on the units and satellites.  We color code it in Red (expired), yellow (will expire within the next 2 months) and green (good to go) and put a filter on it so they can take a quick look to see how their unit is going. 

The POCT unit resources are responsible for updating the operators in our education system for each POCT competency they perform.  Once they update the ed systems we get daily report that lists all the operators that have completed their competency.  Then we manually update them in QML for their access.  For mod complex they have to do a QC sample and a fake patient using QC so we verify they have that completed and the results are within range before we update them.

Since we have all our manual & noninterfaced tests entered via MTE this allows us to lock out users from documenting results if their competency isn't completed.