Inservice education: a commitment to excellence.

Abstract

An inservice education program was initiated in the Clinical Hematology laboratory at McMaster University Medical Centre, a division of Chedoke-McMaster Hospitals, in September 1987. Clinical Hematology staff work in the Hematology, Coagulation or Transfusion Medicine departments. Approximately 30 staff members, one of whom serves as an educational co-ordinator, are participants in the program. Goals for the program were set during the first year. Both formative and summative evaluation procedures are used to monitor achievement of these goals. Formative evaluation consists of audience reaction forms which are completed by participants at each session. This enables the co-ordinator to change the program during the year. Summative evaluation is a comprehensive look at the program. Questionnaires are used to solicit the participants' response to the program, and an interview is used to obtain feedback from the chief technologists. An evaluation report was generated at the end of each year of the program. Program design, goal structure and evaluation procedures are outlined. Partial results from three years of evaluation are also presented.