Training and Competency assessment for additional cartridges on GH100

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We currently only use the ACT-LR cartridges on the GH100 instruments, but we are looking at adding the ACT+ cartridges to our testing menu for our EP Lab.  For those of you that use both cartridge types on the GH100, how did you handle this for training and competency?  The users have already undergone training and competency assessments for the current ACT-LR cartridges.  With the addition of this new cartridge type (ACT+) do I need to do new training and then separate competency assessments for this new cartridge?  Or would the original training and competency suffice?  Although the testing process is identical with both cartridge types, the measuring range is different.  Just looking for what others have done.  We are a CAP accredited facility.

My email is aholland@catawbavalleymc.org if you would prefer to respond via email.  

Thank you!

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Since the test system and process of testing has not changed, the initial training and competency assessment will suffice but I would provide education to all staff that use the analyzer so they dont think the cartridges are interchangeable. Maybe an in-service or a HealthStream. Unless there's no way they would ever mix them up. 

We have the signature elites but we had issues in the past with staff using the wrong cartridges. Only Perfusion uses the ACT+ at our facility. EP, Cath Lab, and ICU use LR. Since then, Werfen has color coded them. I also go a step further and apply an additional neon yellow label on the cartridges that states "Perfusion Use Only" and I include a question about the cartridge types during the Hemochron competency assessment. Most people do better if they know better. 

We do not require different/additional training, since the process for performing the test is identical for either cartridge. 
You can create different configurations in your data management system, for the devices to accept one or the other (or both), depending on the needs of the individual locations. Our CVOR device only accepts the ACT+ and not the LR. All other areas only accept the LR and not the ACT+. Our 'lab' configuration will accept either because we do all of the stock validations on it.

Gloria, how did you configure your GH100's to only accept one type of cartridge?  Our Werfen rep said that wasn't possible.

In RALS, I have separate device configurations  for the CVOR (ACT+), the POC meter (both LR and ACT+) and all the other locations that use only the ACT-LR. Under the QC tab, there are boxes to check for "required levels" which test is done. If you don't check the boxes for ACT-LR, for example, the device will not require it.  If you do this, and look under the QC tab-- whichever QC is not to be run because it's not in the configuration will say "Not required" instead of having a due date. 
When new cuvettes/QC are brought into the inventory, assign them only to the areas where they are used. If materials aren't assigned to a certain location, the device won't allow them to use it.

Oh, ok.  We use Telcor and have different configurations for different departments, but we were not requiring they use pre-stored cartridge lots.  We didn't realize it, but doing this would prevent someone from running the wrong cartridge.  Thanks!

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Ashlee Holland
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