A requirement of The College of
Medical Laboratory Technologists of Ontario (CMLTO) Quality Assurance Program states that practicing medical laboratory technologists (MLTs) must complete 30 hours of professional development in three different activity types. Continuing education or professional development hours allow members to maintain and enhance their knowledge in the ever-changing environment of medical laboratory science, an important component for improving their professional practice as self-regulated healthcare professionals.
Numerous activities outlined by the CMLTO professional portfolio guidelines can be pursued to advance knowledge and skill and/or judgement as a medical laboratory technologist, including formal and informal education, document review and publications, teaching and training, inspections, committee or association meetings, workplace activities, and volunteer work or community involvement.
Did you know that IQMH proficiency testing scientific committee membership and the review of committee comments may be included towards professional development hours to maintain your CMLTO professional portfolio?
Proficiency Testing Scientific Committees
IQMH has a scientific committee for each laboratory medicine discipline made up of volunteers: laboratory physicians, scientists, and medical laboratory technologists. These experts, in collaboration with IQMH Centre for Proficiency Testing Consultant Technologists, provide technical and clinical advice to each program regarding the design of the proficiency testing survey model, selection of testing material, criteria for performance assessment, providing educational comments and feedback to participants.
Membership on committees consists of a three-year term of office, renewable once. Committees meet an average of four times a year for half-day or full-day meetings.
IQMH considers the following criteria for membership:
- Membership will reflect the Canadian laboratory community, including hospital and community-based representation.
- Members shall be laboratory professionals of stature who have a broad knowledge of laboratory operations, quality assurance practices, quality management systems and specific expertise in their laboratory discipline.
Look for communication on the IQMH news blog regarding scientific committee membership applications.
Committee Comments
Committee comments are educational commentary associated with a specific survey. They include a summary and discussion of participant performance, a technical review of the tests performed, and results reported and, where applicable, a clinical review of the significance of the case and its findings. Committee comments are based on the collective experience and expertise of the scientific committee and may include both recommendations and references to published scientific literature.
Committee comments are published after each survey and are posted in QView™ (client portal). They can be found under the Documents tab\General - Proficiency Testing\PT Survey Information and are listed by discipline.
For more information on the CMLTO professional portfolio guidelines visit: http://www.cmlto.com/images/stories/About_CMLTO/CollegePrograms/QA/ProfessionalPortfolio/portfolio_pd_guideline.pdf.