[01] Alaa Habbal, Department of Histopathology & Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. [02] Reena Dadlani, Department of Histopathology & Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

Background: Continuing professional development is an integral part of healthcare system. healthcare professionals need to update their knowledge and skills to face the changes in healthcare environment. with the information overload, healthcare providers need skills in access information and apply it in practical context. The recent approach of Continuing professional development is to be active; competency focused, reflect on practice and enhance self-awareness. Objectives: The main goal of this study is to introduce continuous education program in the microbiology laboratory. While the secondary objectives are to: (1) Assess effect of introducing continuous education program on Medical Laboratory Scientists’ Knowledge and skills toward routine urine Analysis; (2); Assess effect introduce continuous education program on Medical Laboratory Scientists’ Knowledge and skills toward routine stool Analysis. Methodology: This is quantitative-experimental pretest-posttest design took place in tertiary multispecialty hospital (University Hospital Sharjah), in United Arab Emirates between January 2020 till April 2020. The sample consisted of 10 Medical laboratory scientists who were selected and assigned into educational groups. Participants had attended the introductory meeting and perform the self-assessment and pre-test were included in the study. Results: The mean score of correct answers in terms of Urinalysis pretest were 56.36 (S. D±18.58), and become 64.7970 (S.D ± 16.32), with mean difference 8.43. (P=.023). while, the mean score of correct answers in terms of practical urinalysis pretest were 76.2500 (S. D±9.22331) with mean difference 25. (P=.033), and become 79.2000 (S.D ± ±7.48034). In the light of stool analysis pretest, the participants scored 56 (S.D ±9.04065) and become 57 (S. D±9.45222) posttest with mean difference 1.1% with p=.067. As p value > 0.05 that mean the result was not statistically significant. Regarding the practical stool analysis pretest, the participants scored 55 (S.D ±24.90724) and become 80 (S. D± ±16.23012) posttest with mean difference 25.56% with p=.033. A significant difference existed between post-test scores which proof the effectiveness of education session. Conclusion: This study reported baseline and immediate post education session results of Introducing Continuous Professional Program on Medical Laboratory Scientists’ Knowledge toward Routine Microbiology Analysis. Pretest-posttest design was used. The most important findings were the relatively low pre-test knowledge scores among Medical Laboratory Scientists’ and the significant improvement in knowledge and the same for practical sessions for most test items following the educational intervention.

Urinalysis, Stool Analysis, Knowledge, Skills, Continuing Professional Development (CPD), Medical Laboratory Scientists (MLSs)

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