Published by admin at Thu 10 of May, 2007 12:04 UTC

I am amazed that there has been little commentary about the cytology PT over the past year. Perhaps this is most likely due to the fact that CMS "...will not fail cytology PT, have deficiencies cited, or have sanctions imposed against their CLIA certificate provided they:

1. Enroll all affected individuals in a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)approved testing program for the CY 2007 testing cycle, and
2. Ensure that all such individuals are tested in a timely manner within 2007, in accordance with the regulatory protocol.

The regulatory protocol under 42 CFR 493.855 identifies the extent to which additional testing, education, or limitations must be put in place with regard to individuals who do not pass the test initially."

This is a good thing

In addition, I personally feel that the anxiety has somewhat passed, allowing people to perform better with less anxiety, and in addition, there are multiple players now in the "testing" market, which allows for our choice of "pill".

I have now taken both MIME (now ASCP) and CAP versions of the test, and found no significant differences between the two. I had some issues with MIME as well as CAP, but not anything that wasn't easily fixable by contacting the vendors.

The most challenging aspects are the documentation and educational efforts needed in order to comply with the intent of the regulation, which is nothing new. I think that is the general trend right now, and again, although not a bad thing in general, difficult to consistently apply in our current state...doing more with less and in the same amount of time.

It will be interesting to follow the resulting effects of the Cytology PT Act of 2007, to see how this will affect our existing testing format.

I would like to hear feedback from others...perhaps because I get lonely...but perhaps, so others can share their experiences and viewpoints. In addition, I expect that we in the US may be viewed differently than we may think, as our colleagues abroad have long been under the watchful eye of the government, and in many respects, under the auspices of a structured national quality assurance program. Perhaps we have much to learn...remember...it isn't all about us

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