Increasing awareness of effective laboratory test utilization via case-based microlearning.

Abstract

The purpose was to examine how effective a case-based microlearning course was in increasing knowledge of evidence-based practices in effective test utilization of laboratory testing pertaining to an array of diseases and illnesses, including pancreatitis, cardiac injury, inflammation, Lynch syndrome, and respiratory viruses. The course presented learners with a scenario targeting aspects of effective test utilization, such as the use of unnecessary tests, the underutilization of appropriate tests, and the overconsumption of supplies, and asked them about a specific recommendation or course of action. Learning was measured via a pretest and posttest. More than 8725 learners completed the course, the majority of whom were medical laboratory scientists (n = 4979, 57.1%). Mean (SD) test scores increased significantly, from 31.7 (17.4) to 92.8 (17.2), t(8724) = 245.9, P < .01, η2 = 0.9. For each assessment item, χ2 analyses showed that the percentage of respondents who answered correctly on the posttest was significantly higher than on the pretest, with increases ranging from 35.5% to 75.8%. The results from the pretest and posttest showed that the course significantly increased knowledge of evidence-based testing practices for diagnosing a variety of diseases and illnesses, including pancreatitis, cardiac injury, inflammation, Lynch syndrome, and respiratory viruses.