Evaluation of effectiveness of a continuing education program on antimicrobial susceptibility testing.

Abstract

To evaluate the effectiveness of a course designed to increase use of the most recently published Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) standards for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) and reporting. A one-day continuing education course in AST was designed and delivered at multiple sites. Data collected from course evaluations, pre- and post-tests, and pre- and post-practices assessments were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the training. The same course was held in 31 cities across the United States (US). Clinical laboratory scientists who attended the courses. Participant satisfaction; AST knowledge; number of labs using most recent CLSI standards; compliance with 28 specific CLSI AST recommendations. Data indicate a high level of participant satisfaction, a gain in AST knowledge, an increase in the number of laboratories acquiring the most recently published CLSI guidelines, and improvement in 4 of 28 specific AST practices.