PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Golemboski, Karen
AU  - Otto, Catherine N.
AU  - Morris, Susan
TI  - Using Performance Tasks Employing IOM Patient Safety Competencies to Introduce Quality Improvement Processes in Medical Laboratory Science Education
AID  - 10.29074/ascls.26.4.205
DP  - 2013 Oct 01
TA  - American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
PG  - 205--211
VI  - 26
IP  - 4
4099  - http://hwmaint.clsjournal.ascls.org/content/26/4/205.short
4100  - http://hwmaint.clsjournal.ascls.org/content/26/4/205.full
SO  - Clin Lab Sci2013 Oct 01; 26
AB  - Define critical thinking.Characterize performance tasks with respect to teaching critical thinking skills.Explain one method to develop performance tasks for teaching critical thinking.Describe the components of a rubric to evaluate student performance.In order to contribute to improved healthcare quality through patient-centered care, laboratory professionals at all levels of practice must be able to recognize the connection between non-analytical factors and laboratory analysis, in the context of patient outcomes and quality improvement. These practices require qualities such as critical thinking (CT), teamwork skills, and familiarity with the quality improvement process, which will be essential for the development of evidence-based laboratory science practice. Performance tasks (PT) are an educational strategy which can be used to teach and assess CT and teamwork, while introducing Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) students at both baccalaureate and advanced-practice levels to the concepts of quality improvement processes and patient outcomes research. PT presents students with complex, realistic scenarios which require the incorporation of subject-specific knowledge with competencies such as effective team communication, patient-centered care, and successful use of information technology. A PT with assessment rubric was designed for use in a baccalaureate-level MLS program to teach and assess CT and teamwork competency. The results indicated that, even when students were able to integrate subject-specific knowledge in creative ways, their understanding of teamwork and quality improvement was limited. This indicates the need to intentionally teach skills such as collaboration and quality system design. PT represent one of many strategies that may be used in MLS education to develop essential professional competencies, encourage expert practice, and facilitate quality improvement.ABBREVIATIONS: CT – critical thinking; IOM – Institute of Medicine; MLS – Medical Laboratory Science; PBL – problem-based learning; PT – performance task(s); DCLS – Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science