MULTIRULE QC MINICOURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course has been developed by Dr. James O. Westgard, who is a Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of  Wisconsin Medical School and also a Principal in Westgard Quality Corporation (WQC).    This course is approved at the Basic Level of Instruction for 5 hours of PACE credit by the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS).

Introduction Your Instructors Purpose Course Goals Course materials Description of lessons Taking this course for credit Register now! Westgard Web Register now! (ASCLS) Syllabus (Participants enter here)

Your instructor James O. Westgard, Ph.D. Dept. of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine University of Wisconsin-Madison See Dr. Westgard's biography

The course coordinator and primary instructor is James O. Westgard, Ph.D., who is pictured here with fellow colleagues Trish Barry, BS, MT(ASCP), and Elsa Quam, BS, MT(ASCP).

Introduction

The Multirule Minicourse is an online course intended for professionals in Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS). This course is approved at the Basic Level of Instruction for 5 hours of PACE credit. Participants must register with the ASCLS and pass a final exam to receive the credits. The internet materials are being provided on the website of WesTgard Quality Corporation.

Purpose

This course is intended to provide education and training in quality control (QC) to a broad audience of healthcare practitioners who perform laboratory tests in central laboratories, clinic or outpatient laboratories, and point-of-care settings.
 
Multirule QC - often called the "Westgard rules" - is a commonly used QC procedure in many laboratories. But many technologist and analysts are confused about its use and interpretation. This course gives the definitive explanation of the multirule QC as well as how it should be properly interpreted. This should help healthcare practictioners operate valid statistical QC procedures.

Course Goals

Participants who complete the lessons in this course will be able to:

• Access internet resources to support continuing education and training in analytical quality management.
• Define the different control rules used in multirule QC.
• Interpret control results following the multirule QC procedure to determine if patient test results can be reported and, if not, what type of analytical errors are likely occurring in out-of-control runs.

Course materials

• This course description provides a summary of each of the lessons.
• A course syllabus provides links to all of the lesson plans.
• Each lesson plan provides a summary of that lesson, specific objectives, links to the course materials that are to be used, a list of things to do, and some questions for self- assessment.

Interactive Components

• Several plotting and graphing tools are linked to lesson pages. These allow participants to plot data on Levey-Jennings charts immediately and put into practice what they've just learned.
• Participants are encouraged to submit questions by e-mail. These questions will be summarized and a representative sample will be answered and posted.
• Registered ASCLS participants are encouraged to take part in an online discussion forum.
• Each participant is encouraged to find a mentor who will be available to discuss the lessons and assessment questions.

Taking this course for credit

The Levey-Jennings minicourse is approved at the Basic Level of Instruction for 5 hours of PACE credit. Participants must register with the ASCLS and pass a final exam to receive the 5 PACE credits.

Description of lessons

Lesson 1. What is Multirule QC? Participants will interpret control results with a series of rules to determine if patient test results should be reported and, if not, what type of analytical errors are likely occurring in out-of-control runs. In QC - The Multirule Procedure, Dr. Westgard defines the rules commonly included in multirule procedures and provides the rationale for using multiple control rules to interpret control data.
 

Lesson 2. How do you interpret the Multirule QC procedure? In QC - The Multirule Interpretation, a common multirule procedure, often known as "Westgard Rules", illustrates the application and interpretation of multiple rules with multiple control materials and multiple analytical runs.
 

Lesson 3. What questions do you have about Multirule QC? Participants will be able to ask questions via e-mail or via an internet forum. In The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Multirule, questions from current and past course participants are summarized and answers presented on-going "page" that is periodically updated.

Register directly through Westgard Web

Register through ASCLS

Comments, suggestions, and feedback are invited!
E-mail westgard@westgard.com or jo.westgard@hosp.wisc.edu