1. Standard 22B - MLT Instructional Areas

2. Recommended Materials
NAACLS Guide to Accreditation
Core Standards and Required Documentation
NAACLS Self-Study Template
NAACLS Glossary of Terms (add hyperlink)
These are the 3 primary resources for all program directors (experienced, novice, prospective), paper reviewers and site visitors. These resources are essential materials for other volunteers within NAACLS as well. They contain a lot of information about the Standards and a wealth of information to help guide and inform you about the accreditation and self-study process.

3. Standard 22B The standard states:
The curriculum must include principles of:
Methodologies for all major areas currently practiced by a modern clinical laboratory, including problem solving and troubleshooting techniques;
Collecting, processing, and analyzing biological specimens and other substances;
Laboratory result use in diagnosis and treatment;
Communications sufficient to serve the needs of patients and the public;
The required competencies to participate in the orientation of new employees;
Quality assessment in the laboratory;
Laboratory safety and regulatory compliance;
Information processing in the clinical laboratory;
Ethical and professional conduct, and;
Significance of continued professional development.

4. Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this unit of instruction and review of additional resources, the learner shall be able to:
Identify the scientific content required for the MLT curriculum as defined by the NAACLS standards
Classify a topic/task as a pre-analytical, analytical or post-analytical laboratory component
Categorize examples of curriculum topics/experiences into the appropriate instructional areas for MLT

5. Standard 22B.1
Methodologies for all major areas currently practiced by a modern clinical laboratory, including problem solving and troubleshooting techniques;
Taught as part of the MLT program curriculum itself Or
Taught as a part of the applied curriculum courses in hospital or clinic laboratories
The design and outline of the curriculum should make sure that all major areas are addressed either in the prerequisite courses or within the MLT program itself.
Describe the coursework required for completion of the program and indicate whether the course work is addressed as part of the professional program or prior to admission to the program.

6. Standard 22B.1
A matrix, unique to CLT/MLT, is available in section IV of the “New Guide for Accreditation” at
The matrix helps the program document where the required scientific content is provided. Use of the matrix is optional.
The matrix, available on the NAACLS website, provides an easy means to document compliance with the scientific content requirements. It also allows the program director and program faculty to see if there are areas missing or duplicated.
Identify where the items described in Standard 22B1-10 are included in the curriculum.
Submit brief summaries or course descriptions for each unit of instruction or course in the Program.

7. Standard 22B.2
Collecting, processing, and analyzing biological specimens and other substances;
Pre-analytical – all aspects of specimen integrity from the time the physician places the laboratory orders to the time the specimen is received in the laboratory
Analytical – all processes associated with specimen testing once received in the clinical laboratory
The curriculum must include descriptions and explanations of the importance of proper collection and processing of laboratory specimens on the integrity of testing results as well as the impact on patient care.

8. Standard 22B.3 Laboratory result use in diagnosis and treatment;
Opportunities or examples:
Correlate test results to the patient profile
When would this test be requested
The factors that impact the quality of a test result such as inhibitors or interference factors
Students must be aware of and understand the importance of the laboratory results they produce on the quality of healthcare delivery for patients. Each and every test result makes an impact on someone’s diagnosis, treatment and/or maintenance.

9. Standard 22B.4
Communications sufficient to serve the needs of patients and the public;
Opportunities or examples:
Conflict management skills
Verbal, nonverbal and paraverbal (tone, pitch, pace and inflection of voice) communication
Telephone etiquette
Customer service
Communications such as an , memo, proposal, etc.
Communication skills through verbal and non-verbal as well as written methods are essential functions of any medical professional. MLTs need to be able to clearly communication with patients, fellow employees, the public, and other members of the healthcare team.

10. Standard 22B.5 Technical training sufficient to orient new employees;
Opportunities or examples:
Participate an in-service for the clinical laboratory personnel
Review objectives and evaluations for a course within the MLT program
Create and present a recruitment session for a grade school, high school or college
Develop competency assessment tools
Create an educational poster presentation for non-laboratory personnel or the public
Education techniques and terminology can be approached as a series of topics within a single course such as management. Preparation and presentation of posters or in-services often reinforce these curricular requirements very well.

11. Standard 22B.6 Quality assessment in the laboratory;
Opportunities or examples:
Review of quality control for a clinical area and resolution of outliers
Review and assess the quality assurance monitors in the clinical laboratory
Attend a laboratory quality committee meeting
Determine how the laboratory fits into the hospital quality improvement (QI) program
Review QI monitors that cross over into other non-laboratory departments
Using the CAP accreditation checklist, review the quality management system of a laboratory
Review of proficiency testing data
Principles and practices of quality assurance and quality improvement can be addressed across the major areas of laboratory testing or as single topic as it relates to the entire laboratory testing process.

12. Standard 22B.7 Laboratory safety and regulatory compliance;
Opportunities or examples:
Discussion of Accreditation
Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)
The Joint Commission (TJC formerly JCAHO)
College of American Pathologists (CAP)
American Association of Blood Banks (AABB)
NAACLS
Others
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

13. Standard 22B.7 Opportunities or examples (continued) Compliance
Department of Transportation (DOT)
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
Compliance
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
Stark and anti-kickback laws
Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement
CPT coding
Medical necessity
Advanced beneficiary notice
ICD9 coding soon to transition to ICD10
Fraud and abuse

14. Standard 22B.8 Information processing in the clinical laboratory;
Opportunities or examples
Post-analytical – all processes involved with result reporting and delivery
Confidentiality of patient information
Communications with healthcare delivery team

15. Standard 22B.9 Ethical and professional conduct,
Opportunities or examples:
Case studies and anecdotal stories
Role playing
Issues in the news/current events
Situations from previous class cohorts
Faculty modeling
Professional conduct and personal ethics are things that need to be taught and modeled in multiple places in the curriculum. Opportunities to discuss current events and situations in the news; case studies or examples from textbooks or faculty experiences; and questions that allow exploration of ideas are excellent situations to develop

16. Standard 22B.10 Significance of continued professional development.
Opportunities or examples:
Continuing Education for certification maintenance
Professional opportunities for growth
The concept of life-long learning and professional develop should be introduced to students early in the program. Opportunities to show case professional opportunities may be highlighted in multiple courses or during applied educational experiences.

17. Learning Assessment 1
Based on the NAACLS standards, which of the following is typically considered a required course in the MLT curriculum?
Physics
Statistics
Ecology
Algebra

18. Learning Assessment 2
Screening an expectorated sputum specimen for the presence of squamous epithelial cells is considered a/an __________ component of the total testing process.
Pre-analytical
Analytical
Post-analytical

19. Learning Assessment 3
Teaching MLT students about the sensitivity and specificity of rapid glucose meters would help meet the NAACLS MLT curricular requirement for __________ in Chemistry.
Continuous assessment of laboratory services
Performance of assays
Principles and methodologies
Statistical approaches to data evaluation

20. Learning Assessment 4
MLT students are provided the opportunity to meet with a laboratory manager and discuss inventory and purchasing control. This is an example of education in the curricular area of:
Problem-solving and trouble-shooting
Financial management
Critical pathways and clinical decision making
Performance improvement
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