http://www.medialabinc.netOnline OSHA Training, Safety, and Compliance Courses for Clinical Laboratories and Medical Laben-us11 Jul 2008 10:30:45 EST At MediaLab, we're continually working with our customers to enhance Document Control. The updates below will be made on Tuesday, June 18th. There's no action you need to take. The system will remain functional during the updates. Terminology changes for "Supervisor" and "Clerical" users Based on the feedback we received last week from users, we're changing the names of the permissions in Document Control to be more descriptive and to avoid confusion with employees' job titles. The permissions and abilities associated with these permissions will not change -- just the name. Clerical user will change to Administrator Supervisor will change to Administrator + Designated Reviewer Site administrators (those with the ability to add permissions) will remain the same. Flag a document as "Needs Updating" at any time Previously, a document could only be flagged during the periodic review process. Now, administrators can flag a document at any time that issues are found. Flagged documents appear on administrators' "To-Do" lists. Approval processes can override parent manual's approval process Previously, a manual's approval processes were additive: if a parent manual and a submanual both had approval processes, the document would need to complete both processes. We've added an option so that a submanual's approval process can override the parent manual. This lets you apply more specific approval processes without resorting to labels. Change the settings for an approval process by going to "Workflows and Customizations," and then "View and Edit" the applicable processes. Upload viewable and editable versions of Documents We try very hard to make sure that Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files display faithfully on-screen. But because of differences in Office versions, unavailable fonts, and spacing quirks, we can't achieve 100% faithfulness. In cases where this is a problem for your document, you can now upload both the Word file (the "editable" file) and a PDF version that you create on your own computer (the "viewable" file). When you create the PDF file on your own computer, the PDF converter uses your version of Office and your fonts; we can then display the PDF file with 100% fidelity. The viewable file will be shown on-screen to your users (including lab director and performing employees); the editable file will download when you need to make changes. Both versions are included in system backups. To provide a viewable and editable file, click on a document's "Available Actions" box. Because this makes the document updating process more complicated (you have to create and upload a PDF in addition to the edited Word file), we recommend using this option only for problematic documents. Cancel an approval process at any time Any administrator for a document can now cancel that document's approval process. This may be necessary when errors are discovered after the document is sent to approval and users do not want to "Reject" the document.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost65-updates_to_document_control_for_618.aspx6/12/2013 9:13:54 AM ESTAt MediaLab, we're continually working with our customers to enhance Document Control. The updates below will be made on Thursday, June 6th. There's no action you need to take -- the updates will be applied automatically. The system will remain available during the updates. Word-style Scroll on All Documents No more "Back" or "Forward" arrows on documents! You can scroll through the entire document, just like in Word, without clicking. You can still jump to any page and search the document just as quickly as before. New Product-Switching Header Our old row of white / gray product tabs was getting crowded. We redesigned it to free up some space. The redesigned header still alerts you for To-Do list items and lets you to switch between your subscriptions, including Compliance & CE, Document Control, and InspectionProof. Example of the New Header Lab Director and Supervisor Names on Approval and Periodic Review Processes We've filled out the detail on the display of approval and periodic review processes. When looking at a document, you'll see the name of the lab director and supervisor(s) who can perform the approval / review step. Example Approval Process Example Periodic Review Processhttp://www.medialabinc.net/newspost64-updates_to_document_control_for_66.aspx5/31/2013 3:35:55 PM ESTAt MediaLab, we're continually working with our customers to enhance Document Control. The updates below will be made on Friday, May 17th. There's no action you need to take -- the updates will be applied automatically. The system will remain available during the updates. Uploading a Document: Provide Last Periodic Reviewer's Name When you're uploading a document that's already in-use in your laboratory, the system will ask for the name of the last person to perform periodic review. This may be the same or different from the last lab director to approve the document. We'll display this information on appropriate reports and on printed face pages. Perform Periodic Review Any Time Usually, you'll want to perform periodic review on schedule -- within 90 days of the periodic review due date. If you want to perform periodic review early, you can. Look for the link on your approved and current documents for which you're a supervisor. If you perform periodic review early, the next periodic review will be due 2 years from the new review date. For example, Procedure X needs to be reviewed by 12/1/2013. If it is reviewed today, the next periodic review will be needed by 5/13/2015 (two years from today), rather than 12/1/2015. Customize Document Headers You can now customize your document headers to include document-specific information: document title, number, status, last approval date, last review date, and more. See instructions at "Workflows & Customizations" > "Customize Document Headers." Available Actions for this Document menu We've split up the "Available Actions for this Document menu into two menus: "Available Actions" and "Available Reports." This should make links easier to find. Upgraded Hardware We've upgraded the hardware behind our web-based solutions, so you should already be seeing better performance and faster load times, especially on frequently accessed documents.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost63-updates_to_document_control_for_517.aspx5/10/2013 3:32:59 PM ESTAt MediaLab, we're continually working with our customers to enhance Document Control. See below for updates planned for 4/23. This is a large update with lots of requested features, and we'll hope you'll take advantage of the new capabilities. There's no action that you need to take. All updates will be applied automatically on our servers on April 23rd, 2013. The system will remain functional during updates. New Upload Document(s) Page The new "Upload Document(s)" page has several time-saving improvements. You can upload more than one document at a time. We'll auto-fill the document title field based on the file name. Your previous selections for upload type, document type, last lab director approval, effective date, and last review date are saved, helping you to add new documents even faster. Editing / Collaboration Workflows Have a group of people who need to edit or collaborate on writing a document? Build an editing / collaboration workflow. Documents that are being edited will be sent to each member of the workflow so that each user can contribute, write their portion of the document, etc. Different manuals and labels can have different editing / collaboration workflows. Click on the new Workflows & Customizations tab to get started. Periodic Review Processes Need more than one person to sign off on a document when it's time for periodic review? Build a periodic review process. Each person in the process must sign off in order for periodic review to be completed. Different manuals and labels can have different periodic review workflows. Click on the new Workflows & Customizations tab to get started. See Applicable Workflows at Any Time See which approval processes, editing / collaboration workflows, and periodic reviews apply to a document, manual, or label. Click on Available Actions for the document or manual and choose View approval processes and workflows » See the Workflows in Which a User Has a Role See which approval processes, editing / collaboration workflows, and periodic reviews a user participates in. Search for a user and click on View the approval processes and workflows this user is in » Documents That Don't Need Periodic Review Certain kinds of documents, like forms or worksheets, may not require biennial periodic review under CAP regulations. While we recommend that you err on the side of caution and review these documents every two years, you can specific that certain types of documents do not need periodic review. To select which document types do not need periodic review, click on the Workflows & Customizations tab and then Add, Edit, or Remove Document Types » Permissions Tab and Workflows & Customizations Tab We've divided the old Permisions & Customizations tab into two new tabs: one for Permissions and one for Workflows & Customizatons. This organizes features more logically. Search for a Document in the Quick Search Box In the search box in the upper-left corner of the page, you can now search for a user's name or a document name. This lets you jump right to a document no matter what part of the system you're in. Document Browsing Environments Improved We've updated the interface of the no-password-required Document Browsing environments with better search features. Users can now search inside a document's body text and find keywords inside a document.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost62-updates_to_document_control_for_423.aspx4/15/2013 3:12:16 PM ESTWant to learn more about Document Control? This webinar was presented on 3/13. Watch online.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost61-document_control_webinar___watch_online.aspx3/13/2013 5:25:03 PM ESTAt MediaLab, we're continually working with our customers to enhance Document Control. See below for updates planned for 3/19. There's no action that you need to take. All updates will be applied automatically on our servers on March 19th, 2013. The system will remain functional during updates. Create Labels Labels help you categorize your documents, like manuals, but the label names don't display for your performing and non-performing employees. Use labels for designating permissions, approval processes / workflows, and other organizational functions that don't necessarily connect to manuals and don't need to be visible to your non-administrative employees. A document can have any number of labels, just like a document can be in any number of manuals. To create a new label, click on the Edit Manuals & Labels tab. We have more label-related features coming soon. New icon for upcoming periodic review needed If you're an administrator, you can now easily tell if you're viewing a document that needs periodic review in the next 90 days, even if you're not the user assigned to complete periodic review. You'll see the customary green light (to indicate "Approved and Current"), backed by a yellow warning sign. A new legend throughout the program ("Explain status icons") has more information. Viewing permissions now available to all administrative users All administrative users (lab directors, supervisors, and clerical users) can now view the permissions that are assigned to manuals and documents in their purview. These administrative users still cannot change the permissions, but many customers commented that letting administrators view these permissions would be helpful. New reports The "List of All Documents" report under the Reports tab can now be customized with additional columns, including date of last lab director approval, last periodic review date and signer name, next review date, and more. You can access this report for each manual under that manual's "Available Actions" box. You can view the completed and incomplete performing employee signoffs for a selected document or manual under that document or manual's "Available Actions" box. See which users are printing the most uncontrolled copies and which documents are the most frequently printed. Look under the Reports tab for "View Uncontrolled Copy Count Per Document" and "View Uncontrolled Copy Count Per User." A new lab director can re-approve previously approved documents CAP checklist item COM.10400 requires that, when there is a change in laboratory directorship, that the new lab director review and re-approve documents. You can now set documents and manuals to require the new lab director's approval. This will not prevent employees from viewing the document. Look under the Permissions & Customizations tab for "Require New Lab Director to Reapprove Documents." Corporate subscription improvements Only a few subscribers have corporate subscriptions. These updates include: Notification when a new or updated corporate procedure is available to divisions Corporate minor revisions automatically pushed to divisions A lab director's approval signoff at corporate can function as a division's lab director signoffhttp://www.medialabinc.net/newspost60-updates_to_document_control_for_319.aspx3/12/2013 5:14:00 PM ESTWant to learn more about Document Control? This webinar was presented on 3/13. Watch online.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost59-document_control_webinar.aspx2/6/2013 5:12:00 PM ESTMediaLab Inc., a leading provider of online compliance, continuing education, document control, and inspection management solutions for medical laboratories, is seeking a full time sales representative. We are seeking a person with a proven track record of sales success, drive, determination and a strong computer and internet background. Responsibilities will include calling on clinical laboratory management, as well as working leads developed from trade shows, our websites, and online and print advertising. Additional duties include giving webinars and online product demos. You will work closely with MediaLab management to define and execute corporate marketing priorities. Applicant should have a medical background or medically related college degree, such as medical technology or nursing, and documentable sales experience. Job experience in the clinical medical laboratory is preferred. About 30 to 50% travel is anticipated. Candidates must be based in Atlanta, GA. Please submit your resume to hr@medialabinc.net.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost58-now_hiring_sales_representative.aspx1/22/2013 12:20:09 PM ESTAt MediaLab, we're continually working with our customers to enhance Document Control. See below for updates planned for 1/18. We've also added some whitepapers demonstrating how Document Control can help you to meet ISO 15189 and 21 CFR Part 11 standards. There's no action that you need to take. All updates will be applied automatically on our servers on January 18th, 2013. The system will remain functional during updates. New Whitepapers ISO 15189 is a comprehensive standard that touches on all areas of the laboratory. Section 4.3 presents standards relating specifically to document control. See how Document Control helps you address ISO 15189 standards. Some labs may need to meet FDA requirements regarding electronic signatures, as detailed in 21 CFR Part 11. Learn how Document Control can help you meet these requirements. Updates Custom document footers You can now specify a custom document footer that will appear beneath your documents when they are viewed online. The custom footer will also print on the face page of controlled and uncontrolled printed copies. To customize the footer, click on the "Permissions & Customizations" tab, and then "Customize Document Headers and Footers." Choose your default tab - Compliance & CE or Document Control If your organization subscribes to both Compliance & CE and Document Control, you can now select which should load by default when you log in. To change your default, click on the "My Courses" tab, then "Edit Profile." Search inside a document When viewing a Word document, you can highlight search terms to find them more easily. To search inside a Word document, view a document by clicking on its name under the "View Documents and Manuals" tab, then enter a search term into the Search box. Matching words will be highlighted in yellow. HTTPS everywhere Previously, MediaLab used HTTPS secure connections only for the log-in process and for accepting payment information. We are now using HTTPS throughout the system, so your entire interaction with MediaLab will be through a secure encrypted session. Updates to printing controlled copies We've consolidated and normalized the terminology around generating and printing controlled copies of documents and manuals, which should reduce confusion and result in fewer accidental printings.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost57-updates_to_document_control_for_118.aspx1/10/2013 5:00:48 PM ESTAt MediaLab, we're continually working with our customers to enhance Document Control. See below for updates planned for 12/21. There's no action that you need to take. All updates will be applied automatically on our servers on December 21st, 2012. The system will remain functional during updates. Provide a custom version number when uploading existing documents Previously, Document Control always started numbering versions of a document from v1.0, even if it was an existing document with a custom document number. You can now specify the starting version number for each document you add, so that the version numbers can be continuous with your previous system. Set a future effective date when starting an approval process Previously, only the lab director could set the effective date of the document. You told us that it would make more sense if the individual starting the approval process could set the effective date of the document, as the lab director sometimes overlooked setting the date. We've added this as requested. Custom document types Previously, you could only choose from our pre-defined document types: Policy, Procedure, Form, Job aid, Worksheet, Attachment / supporting info, Manufacturer's insert, and Other. Now, you can add, rename, and remove document types to match your organization's preferred terminology. Big under-the-hood improvements to document viewing We worked hard to improve speed across the system, especially for viewing and reading documents. Our testing shows that documents now load 2x to 5x faster. http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost56-updates_to_document_control_for_1221.aspx12/14/2012 11:34:08 AM ESTA new course, Laboratory Methods to Aid in the Detection of Sepsis, is now available. This course is approved for 1 ASCLS P.A.C.E. credit hour and counts towards your ASCP, AMT, or state license renewal.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost55-laboratory_methods_to_aid_in_the_detection_of_seps.aspx12/12/2012 1:56:24 PM ESTAt MediaLab, we're continually working with our customers to enhance Document Control. See below for updates planned for 12/4. There's no action that you need to take. All updates will be applied automatically on our servers on December 4th, 2012. The system will remain functional during updates. Delegate approval & periodic review permissions Have a supervisor that's on vacation? Appoint a temporary replacement. The replacement can complete approval steps in lieu of the absent supervisor and will also be prompted to complete periodic review for documents that need it. (Lab director approval and performing employee signoff cannot be delegated.) Back up selected manuals In addition to requesting automatic backups of all Document Control data, you can schedule backups for selected manuals. Require department supervisors to download backups of their manuals. Separate site administrator permissions for Compliance & CE and Document Control Previously, site administrators had administrator functionality for both Compliance & CE and Document Control. You can now separate these roles -- users can be site administrators for Compliance & CE, Document Control, or both. A user who is not a site administrator for Document Control may still have other Document Control permissions (supervisor, clerical, performing employee, etc.) Fixed conflict between supervisors and clerical users Users that have both supervisor and clerical permissions for a document or manual found that they could not complete periodic review for that document. This has been corrected. Fixed a display issue with permissions for deleted manuals A few locations showed permissions that were associated with deleted manuals. This has been corrected.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost54-updates_to_document_control_for_124.aspx11/27/2012 5:33:59 PM ESTA new course, Describing a Red Blood Cell Population Using RBC Indices and Red Cell Distribution Width, is now available. This course is approved for 1 ASCLS P.A.C.E. credit hour and counts towards your ASCP, AMT, or state license renewal.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost53-new_ce_course_describing_a_red_blood_cell_populati.aspx11/26/2012 2:53:20 PM ESTA new course, Current Good Manufacturing Practices for Transfusion Services, is now available. This course is approved for 2 ASCLS P.A.C.E. credit hours and counts towards your ASCP, AMT, or state license renewal.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost52-new_course_current_good_manufacturing_practices_fo.aspx11/12/2012 4:01:44 PM ESTAt MediaLab, we're continually working with our customers to enhance Document Control. See below for updates planned for 11/7. There's no action that you need to take. All updates will be applied automatically on our servers on November 7th, 2012. The system will remain functional during updates. Updates Build quizzes for your policies and procedures: Create one or more multiple choice questions about a document Performing employees must answer all questions correctly to sign off on the document Create different quizzes for different versions: test performing employees on what's changed Get quiz scores and reports at any time Document Browsing links with no password will skip the intro page and open directly to the list of documents Option to enable or disable "Skip this step" when documents are traversing custom approval processes http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost51-updates_to_document_control_for_117.aspx10/31/2012 4:12:02 PM ESTNew from MediaLab: InspectionProof. Organize and prepare for on-site and self inspections. Delegate inspection tasks to department heads and supervisors. See how close you are to 100% preparation. And make inspection day just like any other day.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost50-make_inspection_day_just_like_any_other_day.aspx10/24/2012 9:46:01 AM ESTA new course, Basics of Lean and Six Sigma for the Laboratory, is now available. This course is approved for 2 ASCLS P.A.C.E. credit hours and counts towards your ASCP, AMT, or state license renewal.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost49-new_course_basics_of_lean_and_six_sigma_for_the_la.aspx10/16/2012 4:26:49 PM ESTAt MediaLab, we're continually working with our customers to enhance Document Control. See below for updates planned for 10/23. There's no action that you need to take. All updates will be applied automatically on our servers on October 23rd, 2012. The system will remain functional during updates. Updates Change last approved, effective, and last reviewed date for documents uploaded as existing documents Option to set default view to "manuals" or "documents" when clicking "View Manuals & Documents" Search box added to "manuals" view under "View Manuals & Documents" Select sub-manuals to include in Document Browsing (Intranet links, no password required) Link documents in MediaLab to external sites or Intranet documents Improved Word document rendering and compatibility Consolidated customization options under new "Permissions & Customizations" tab Improvements to corporate subscriptions -- easier sharing and importing documents from parent subscriptions (not applicable to most users) http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost48-document_control_updates_for_1023.aspx10/16/2012 4:09:23 PM ESTMediaLab is pleased to offer a new Histology CE package to provide histologists with the continuing education they need to renew their national or state certification. You can purchase Histology CE by itself or as an add-on to Compliance & CE or Document Control. See included histology courses and get an instant quote.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost47-histology_ce_package_now_available.aspx6/14/2012 12:52:43 PM ESTA new course, Preliminary Identification of the Primary Select Agents of Bioterrorism, is now available. Learn more » This course is approved for 1.5 ASCLS P.A.C.E. credit hours and counts towards your ASCP, AMT, or state license renewal in the category of microbiology.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost46-new_course_preliminary_identification_of_the_prima.aspx12/22/2011 10:35:41 AM ESTOn Friday, November 11, we updated our website to feature a new look for our online courses. Questions or concerns? E-mail support@medialabinc.net.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost41-now_available_new_look_for_medialab_courses.aspx11/30/2011 10:37:45 AM ESTA new course, Real-Time PCR, is now available. Learn more » This course is approved for 1.5 ASCLS P.A.C.E. credit hours and counts towards your ASCP, AMT, or state license renewal in the category of molecular pathology.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost45-new_course_real_time_pcr.aspx11/1/2011 10:24:47 AM ESTA new course, Bone Marrow Aspiration Part I: Normal Hematopoiesis and Basic Interpretive Procedures, is now available. Learn more » This course is approved for 2 ASCLS P.A.C.E. credit hours and counts towards your ASCP, AMT, or state license renewal in the category of hematology.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost44-new_course_bone_marrow_aspiration_part_i_normal_he.aspx10/20/2011 10:24:47 AM EST .imgcaption { font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; } We are pleased to announce the official release of our new CourseBuilder system! This is a major update that adds dozens of requested functions, while striving to make CourseBuilder even easier to use. It's active now for all MediaLab users. You can use CourseBuilder to build your own online courses and customize MediaLab's courses for your own needs. New Features and Functionality! We've made many major improvements to the CourseBuilder system, including: New and improved question types New Drag-and-drop questions ask users to drag text or images into appropriate boxes. New Put-in-order questions ask users to reorder listed items into the correct order; these are excellent for "procedure" questions. Fill-in-the-Blank questions now allow for up to 3 "also acceptable" answers. Questions, page content, feedback, and answer choices can now be as long as necessary. New multimedia options Upload audio files to individual course pages, or upload an audio track for full-course narration. Upload video files, with automatic encoding and resizing. Large images are automatically resized appropriately when uploading. Swap out an image or file without having to reselect it on all the pages where it's used. Better handling of PowerPoint content New courses can be created by uploading a PowerPoint. PowerPoint content can be added to existing courses inside CourseBuilder. Replace PowerPoint slides inside CourseBuilder by re-uploading your PowerPoint file. Other edits that you've made, like adding more content pages or exam questions, are preserved. Subadministrators can add new courses Site administrators can now grant subadministrators the ability to create new courses from scratch. Under the Users tab, select "Edit Subadministrator Roles," then choose "CourseBuilder Subadministrator" and "Ability to add new courses." Checklists are easier to edit ChecklistBuilder is now integrated into CourseBuilder, so that checklists can be built more quickly. Add tasks, subtasks, benchmarks, descriptions, and resources (downloadable files, links, and references). Logging and history All important edits to courses are now logged, including the date, time, and responsible party. See who added, edited, and deleted course content, pages, tasks, exam questions, and more. More help available More explanatory text is available inside CourseBuilder, including a "Get Started" guide and answers to frequenly asked questions. Download the updated CourseBuilder User's Guide (PDF) for more information. New Look! The most noticeable change in this update is the overall interface of CourseBuilder. We have added a new header that contains many of the major functions of the course, a revamped, collapsible course outline, and an upgraded page / question viewing pane. The new, easier to use interface. The new button menu separates course-wide functionality from specific page / question functions. This includes previewing the course, selecting course options, viewing the course update history, the ability to print a PDF copy of the course from inside CourseBuilder, a link to the individual multimedia galleries (images, files, audio, video), a link to the course glossary, the help button, and the button to exit CourseBuilder. CourseBuilder's new button menu. The course outline has been reworked for functionality and usability. The collapsing feature is now more apparent and has a sleek, smooth transition. Certain pages from the previous version of CourseBuilder have been moved to more visible places within the new course outline. Another new feature of the new course outline is the ability to show / hide the entire outline. The updated, collapsible course outline. Questions? Have any questions about the new CourseBuilder upgrades? Please contact us at support@medialabinc.net. http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost40-new_coursebuilder_now_available.aspx10/5/2011 1:56:44 PM ESTA new course, Rh negative female with anti-D at delivery: A case study, is now available. Learn more » This course is approved for 2 ASCLS P.A.C.E. credit hours and counts towards your ASCP, AMT, or state license renewal in the category of bloodbanking / immunohematology.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost43-new_course_rh_negative_female_with_anti_d_at_deliv.aspx9/15/2011 10:24:47 AM ESTA new course, Hemoglobinopathies: Hemoglobin S Disorders, is now available. Learn more » This course is approved for 2 ASCLS P.A.C.E. credit hours and counts towards your ASCP, AMT, or state license renewal in the category of hematology.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost42-new_course_hemoglobinopathies_hemoglobin_s_disorde.aspx8/8/2011 10:24:47 AM ESTA new course, Hemolytic Disease of the Fetus and Newborn, is now available. Learn more » http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost38-new_course_hemolytic_disease_of_the_fetus_and_newb.aspx5/3/2011 2:41:43 PM ESTA new course, Transfusion Reactions, is now available. Learn more »http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost37-new_course_transfusion_reactions.aspx3/3/2011 3:19:29 PM ESTA new course, Body Fluid Differential Tutorial, is now available. Learn more »http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost36-new_course_body_fluid_differential_tutorial.aspx11/30/2010 12:11:14 PM ESTA new course, Antinuclear Antibody Testing: Methods and Pattern Interpretation, is now available. Learn more »http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost35-new_course_antinuclear_antibody_testing_methods_an.aspx11/9/2010 12:41:29 PM ESTA new course, Metabolic Syndrome , is now available. Learn more »http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost34-new_course_metabolic_syndrome.aspx10/8/2010 12:41:29 PM ESTMediaLab has made upgrades to our online learning management system. On October 20th, we released a new look for our student and administrator pages. At the same time, we updated our treatment of user passwords to make them more secure.New Look We're updating the look of our learning management system, both for administrators and other users. This new look is simpler, cleaner, and more compact. Less space is given to navigation elements and the page header is more compact, which means less scrolling to get to important information. If you are an administrator, you can switch back and forth between your administrator and student roles by clicking on "My Courses" or "LMS & Course Administration" in the upper-right corner of the page. Navigation tabs have moved to the upper-right corner of the page as well. The "Jump to a User Report" box is available on every page of the administrator interface, which will help you to access this common page more quickly. The display of checklists has changed. We've removed the blue coloration on checklist rows and reducing some spacing as well. Checklists will now print on fewer sheets of paper and use less ink. The way that courses themselves display onscreen will not be changing at this time. More Secure Passwords MediaLab is upgrading its system to follow industry-standard policies regarding password handling. Previously, MediaLab has allowed administrators and technical support staff to look up a lost password, and lost passwords have been e-mailed to users who request them. After October 20th, administrators and technical support will not be able to recover passwords directly, but must reset them. We've worked hard to balance security with convenience – we don't want it to be difficult for you to communicate login information to your users, but we also need to protect the accounts of our users. Users who lose their password and contact their administrators or technical support will be given a new, temporary password – after logging in, they will be required to change it. Alternatively, users will be e-mailed a "reset your password" link that will enable them to choose a new password. Newly added users will be given a temporary password. This temporary password (usually the same as the username) must be changed when the user logs in for the first time. You will still be able to e-mail your new users with temporary login information. Security Requirements for New Passwords MediaLab is implementing additional security requirements for new passwords. They must be at least six characters long, include at least one number or special character, and cannot be the same as the user's username. Usernames and passwords are not case-sensitive - uppercase and lowercase letters are treated the same. These changes will not affect existing passwords. All users may continue logging in with their existing usernames and passwords. If a user loses his or her password or elects to change it, the new security required will be enforced. How to Reset a Lost Password / Provide a User with a Temporary PasswordLog in to your administrator account.Start typing the name of the user in the Search box in the upper left of the page and click on the user’s name when it appears.Look for the line that says "Password [not displayed]" and click on "Lost password? Reset this user's password »"Click on the "Reset Password" button.Note the user’s temporary password and give it to him or her. You can also e-mail the temporary password using the button provided.You can look up a temporary password at any time; once a user logs in using the temporary password, he or she must change it.Thank you for your subscription!At MediaLab, we’re always striving to improve our courses and software. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please let us know. You can contact us at support@medialabinc.net or call us at (877) 776-8460.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost32-important_medialab_updates_a_new_look_more_secure_.aspx10/5/2010 2:53:16 PM ESTA new course, Histology Special Stains: Carbohydrates, is now available. Learn more »http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost33-new_course_histology_special_stains_carbohydrates.aspx9/15/2010 12:40:43 PM ESTA new course, Multi-drug Resistant Organisms: MRSA, VRE, and Clostridium difficile, is now available for subscribers!http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost31-new_course_multi_drug_resistant_organisms_mrsa_vre.aspx8/13/2010 12:02:32 PM ESTA new course, Diabetes and the Current American Diabetes Association Guidelines, is now available for subscribers!http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost30-new_course_diabetes_and_the_current_american_diabe.aspx8/13/2010 12:02:11 PM ESTWe've recently made several updates and improvements to the MediaLab system. These updates will make your administrator and student profiles easier to manage. Because of these updates, your username and password to log in to MediaLab may have changed. What's Changed? We've changed the terminology in our system – "students" are now called "users." This term is more generic and will address a wider range of facilities that are using MediaLab. All users of your system now have a user profile and will be displayed when you click "View All Users." This includes users that were previously only administrators. Administrator usernames and passwords can now be used for taking courses and for accessing administration features. Previously, you may have had a different "student" username and password to log in to take courses. Now, you will use one username and password for both. Administrators can move back and forth between taking courses and using administration features without having to log out and log back in again. Look for links labeled "My Courses" and "Administration" in the upper-right corner of the MediaLab system. You can promote an existing user to be an administrator. The promoted user will use his or her existing username and password to take courses and to access administrator features. You can have as many administrators as you like for no extra charge. Administrators that can take courses will count towards your user limit. Administrators that cannot take courses will not count towards your user limit. You can select which users can and cannot access courses from the "User Report" page under the "Users" tab. Inactive users will not count towards your user limit, but they cannot access courses or administration features. You can deactivate users by clicking on "Deactivate" from the "User Report" page under the "Users" tab. Users can later be reactivated by clicking on "Reactivate." Because MediaLab needed to create new user profiles for some existing site administrators, you may have duplicate names in your list of users. You can merge these duplicates by clicking on the "Users" tab, then on "Merge Users (combine duplicate user profiles)." Merging users takes two existing users and creates a single user profile with their combined assignments, administrator permissions, and personal information. No records are deleted. MediaLab is now tracking all changes to user profiles. You can now see who added a user, who granted or revoked administrator permissions, who changed a user's personal information, and who deactivated a user. Troubles Logging In? Your login information may have changed as a result of MediaLab creating and merging certain user profiles. If you are having trouble logging in as a student or administrator, please try the following: If you had different usernames and passwords for your administrator and student roles, try using one and then the other to log in. In some cases, your previous student login information was retained; in some cases, your previous administrator login information was retained. Request that your username and password be e-mailed to you by clicking on "Lost your username or password?" from the login page, then entering your e-mail address. The e-mail you receive may contain multiple usernames and passwords if you have duplicate accounts in the MediaLab system. Contact your primary site administrator and ask him or her to look up your username and password. Contact MediaLab Technical Support at (877) 776-8460 or support@medialabinc.net. MediaLab Thanks You for Your Support! Thank you very much for your support as we implement these new features, and please accept our apologies in advance for any confusion. These changes will help us bring you new features and will make the MediaLab system easier to use and administer. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact MediaLab Technical Support. Again, thank you!http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost29-trouble_logging_in_please_read_these_notes_on_syst.aspx7/29/2010 12:07:26 PM ESTLabCE now features a phlebotomy CE package, designed for phlebotomists to meet phlebotomy license renewal requirements. Learn more!http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost27-online_ce_for_phlebotomists.aspx6/14/2010 6:35:16 PM ESTA new course, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Molecular Diagnostic Testing, is now available for subscribers!http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost26-new_course_human_papillomavirus_hpv_and_molecular_.aspx6/7/2010 5:56:25 PM ESTWe've updated the course Reading and Reporting Gram Stained Direct Smears. Learn more!http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost25-updated_course_reading_and_reporting_gram_stained_.aspx6/7/2010 5:56:06 PM ESTA new course, The Influenza A Virus: 2009 H1N1 Subtype is now available for all subscribers. Learn more!http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost24-new_course_the_influenza_a_virus_2009_h1n1_subtype.aspx3/10/2010 11:34:04 AM ESTA new course, Detecting and Evaluating Coagulation Inhibitors and Factor Deficiencies is now available for all subscribers. Learn more!http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost23-new_course_detecting_and_evaluating_coagulation_in.aspx3/2/2010 12:50:11 PM ESTA new course, Dermal Puncture and Capillary Blood Collection is now available for all subscribers. Learn more!http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost22-new_course_dermal_puncture_and_capillary_blood_col.aspx3/2/2010 12:49:56 PM ESTWhen an event – defined as a deviation from an approved policy, process or procedure, a complaint, or a transfusion reaction – occurs in the laboratory it needs to be documented by the person who observes it. Identifying and tracking errors is a critical component to continuously ensure compliance, patient safety and to improve policies, procedures and processes. Subscribe to this course provided by the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science for just $45. Earn 2 P.A.C.E. continuing education credits and learn about the types of events that may occur in the clinical laboratory environment, regulatory and standards agencies requirements, the basic Event Management Process, and root cause analysis. Learn more about Patient Safety: Event Management in the Clinical Laboratoryhttp://www.medialabinc.net/newspost21-patient_safety_in_the_clinical_lab.aspx1/5/2010 5:20:02 PM ESTA new course, Authentic and Spurious Causes of Thrombocytopenia is now available for all subscribers. Learn more!http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost20-new_course_authentic_and_spurious_causes_of_thromb.aspx12/17/2009 12:27:09 PM ESTA new course, Cardiac Biomarkers is now available for all subscribers. Learn more!http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost19-new_course_cardiac_biomarkers.aspx12/17/2009 12:26:58 PM ESTStay up to date on the latest news from LabCE and MediaLab! Follow our Twitter account at http://twitter.com/labce. You can also become a fan of MediaLab and LabCE on Facebook by visiting http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lawrenceville-GA/LabCE-Online-continuing-education-for-medical-technologists/68787103427.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost18-follow_labce_and_medialab_on_twitter_and_facebook.aspx9/2/2009 3:35:49 PM ESTA new course is now available free for all LabCE.com subscribers. Laboratory Ergonomics, 1.0 ASCLS P.A.C.E. credit hour. Learn more about Laboratory Ergonomics and other online CE courses for meeting medical technologist continuing education requirements.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost17-new_course_laboratory_ergonomics.aspx8/27/2009 2:07:45 PM ESTA new course is now available free for all LabCE.com subscribers. Routine Venipuncture, 1.5 ASCLS P.A.C.E. credit hours. Learn more about Routine Venipuncture and other online CE courses for meeting medical technologist continuing education requirements.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost16-new_course_routine_venipuncture.aspx8/27/2009 2:07:34 PM ESTA new course is now available free for all MediaLab subscribers. Emerging Cardiovascular Risk Markers, 1.5 ASCLS P.A.C.E. credit hours. Learn more about Emerging Cardiovascular Risk Markers and other online CE courses for meeting medical technologist continuing education requirements.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost14-new_course_emerging_cardiovascular_risk_markers.aspx6/29/2009 2:41:02 PM ESTA new course is now available free for all MediaLab subscribers. The Disappearing Antibody: A Case Study, 2.0 ASCLS P.A.C.E. credit hours. Learn more about The Disappearing Antibody: A Case Study and other online CE courses for meeting medical technologist continuing education requirements.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost15-new_course_the_disappearing_antibody.aspx6/25/2009 2:50:09 PM ESTBuild your resume and help provide cutting-edge continuing education and compliance courses to the clinical laboratory market. Write a course for MediaLab! We're in search of experienced clinical laboratory educators to help us create and update online courses for clinical laboratory professionals. Writing for MediaLab is a valuable chance to build your resume, establish your expertise, and gain publishing experience with the growing field of online course development. Our course-building tools are convenient and easy-to-use. MediaLab also pays an honorarium to authors that work with us. Learn more about writing courses for MediaLabhttp://www.medialabinc.net/newspost8-authors_and_reviewers_needed___use_coursebuilder_t.aspx6/25/2009 2:49:31 PM ESTDid you know that procedures and rules for Medicare'e ABN (Advance Beneficiary Noticies) change on March 1st? MediaLab's Medicare Compliance for Clinical Laboratories course has been update to include the latest changes to ABN's. Keep your employees informed and up-to-date.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost12-new_abn_rules___medialab_courses_updated.aspx2/27/2009 2:43:10 PM ESTBack in November, we asked for your feedback about MediaLab. Over 200 of you responded to our survey. We sincerely appreciate your feedback! This e-mail will summarize a few themes and suggestions that came out of that survey. Of those who completed the administrator survey, 99% said they would recommend MediaLab to a colleague. And 95% of respondents said they were "very satisfied" with MediaLab. Respondents said they feel MediaLab is a good value for the number of courses included. CourseBuilder and the administrator interface are easy-to-use, and MediaLab helps to reduce paperwork for both employees and administrators. Some MLT programs reported that the percentage of their students passing the registry has significantly increased since implementing MediaLab. Respondents also said that their employees respond positively to MediaLab. Ease of use, convenience, cost savings, and the flexibility to complete courses over the Internet and from home were the most frequently mentioned advantages for employees. Administrators also had a number of suggestions for improvement. We take these suggestions seriously, and we'll address as many as we can in 2009. Some respondents indicated that they feel certain courses are too long. We'll be breaking up some of our longer titles, such as Phlebotomy, into smaller, more focused courses as we update them in 2009. For new courses, we'll aim for an average completion time of one hour (1 ASCLS P.A.C.E. credit). Respondents also indicated the need for new courses, especially in the areas of chemistry, serology, microbiology, and supervisor-level courses. In 2009 and beyond, we have committed to adding at least ten new courses per year to MediaLab. We're working closely with a number of laboratory educators and authors to develop courses. If you're interested in authoring courses for MediaLab, please visit http://www.medialabinc.net/authors.aspx. If you've already built courses for your employees through CourseBuilder, we may be able to work with you to publish these courses for all users. Contact us at authors@medialabinc.net. Respondents also expressed the continually need for new courses, so that employees can fulfill recurring requirements for AMT, ASCP, and state license renewal. Most of these programs require CE to be completed every two or three years. Since MediaLab has committed to releasing at least ten new courses per year, your employees will have access to 20 to 30 new courses before they need to renew their licenses again. We'll also be adding new features to the MediaLab administrator interface, including better reports, customizable CE transcripts, and online tracking of CE hours earned outside MediaLab. Recently, we've added the ability to add continuing education hours to custom courses. We've also improved the organization of courses, so that you can develop your own customized curricula for your employees. We sincerely appreciate your feedback, whether through our online survey or communicated directly to us at (877) 776-8460 or feedback@medialabinc.net. Your support of MediaLab has helped us to grow tremendously over the years, and with your continued support, we'll be able to serve you better in 2009 and beyond.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost11-administrator_survey_results.aspx12/29/2008 12:19:07 PM ESTThe LabCE.com Quiz Game is a free, randomized question bank published by MediaLab that tests clinical laboratory science knowledge. It's a great way to review for boards, brush up on laboratory knowledge, and challenge yourself and your employees. With over 1,500 questions in lab safety, hematology, chemistry, microbiology, body fluids, blood banking, hematology, quality control, and more, the LabCE Quiz Game is an excellent resource for all clinical laboratory personnel. The LabCE Quiz Game will always be free to everyone. No registration or sign-up is required to play. You don't need to be a MediaLab or LabCE subscriber. Try it out » We're very much in need of your help to keep this free resource fresh and challenging for all players. Contribute your own questions with our convenient online question creator. By creating a username and password to submit questions, you'll be able to save your progress, see how players perform on questions that you submit, and make changes to questions you've published. You can choose to include your name, bio, and picture on questions that you submit, or you can submit questions anonymously. Since the LabCE Quiz Game was launched at the end of June, we've had more than 30,000 players. Play the LabCE Quiz Game and try it for yourself! http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost10-labce_quiz_game___free_resource_for_medical_techno.aspx10/14/2008 4:55:39 PM ESTTwo new continuing education courses are now available to all subscribers: Alpha Thalassemia (1.5 P.A.C.E. credits) Fundamentals of Molecular Diagnostics (1.0 P.A.C.E. credit) Subscriptions to LabCE by MediaLab include access to 47 online courses. Provide your employees with a library of up-to-date continuing education courses to help them fulfill license requirements. Subscriptions also include safety and compliance courses, tracking and reporting features, and customization tools so that you can quickly create your own online laboratory training and in-services. Learn more »http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost9-new_courses_in_alpha_thalassemia_and_molecular_dia.aspx10/6/2008 4:36:56 PM ESTIf you're a medical technologist, you need laboratory continuing education to keep your skills up-to-date. Professional organizations, including the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), American Medical Technologists (AMT), and National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel (NCA), require you to complete laboratory continuing education every time you need to renew your license -- every one to two years. Learn more » Many states that require licensing of laboratory personnel also require laboratory continuing education. These states include Florida, California, Tennesse, West Virginia, and more. See what your laboratory personnel license requires » Your employer may also require you to complete a certain number of laboratory continuing education courses every year. LabCE.com is the most cost-effective source for online laboratory continuing education. Learn more. Get access to over 45 online courses in clinical laboratory science for just $95. Visit LabCE.com to help meet your laboratory continuing education needs »http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost7-medical_technologist_continuing_education.aspx9/8/2008 3:00:21 PM ESTUsing MediaLab's CourseBuilder, you can quickly create online courses from your organization's existing PowerPoint files. Create a custom solution for assigning, tracking, and documenting training in less than a minute. Learn more about turning your PowerPoint files into online courses »http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost6-turn_powerpoint_files_into_online_courses.aspx8/29/2008 4:44:17 PM ESTMediaLab's newest course, Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Pharmacogenomics, is now available for all subscribers. Therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmacogenomics are both pharmacy-related areas within the clinical laboratory. Although each is considered a sub-discipline within laboratory medicine, the two fields overlap significantly. This course provides an overview of each of these laboratory sub-disciplines and discusses the utility, rationale, and practice of each one. Learn more about the Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Pharmacogenomics online course. See a complete list of all included online courses.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost5-new_pharmacology_in_the_clinical_lab_course.aspx8/11/2008 6:04:40 PM ESTTwo new courses are now available for all MediaLab subscribers. Both mycology courses carry ASCLS P.A.C.E. credit for laboratory continuing education, as well as Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Science credit for the General (Parasitology/Mycology) category. Mycology: Hyaline and Dematiaceous Fungi helps you identify hyaline mold isolates by observing the appearance of the colony on agar plates and through microscopic appearance, as well as identify dematiaceous molds by observing characteristic structures and their rate of growth. Mycology: Yeasts and Dimorphic Pathogens helps you identify yeast species and dimorphic fungal species by observing the appearance of the colony morphology and through microscopic appearance. The course also discusses various sources of fungal infections and the diseases that are associated with yeasts and dimorphic molds. See a complete list of all available online courses.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost4-two_new_mycology_courses.aspx8/11/2008 6:00:49 PM ESTMediaLab is the easiest and more affordable way for clinical laboratory personnel to earn laboratory continuing education. Laboratories help make sure that their employees are up-to-date and in compliance with AMT, ASCP, NCA, state, and CLIA / federal requirements and recommendations. Using MediaLab, you can provide over forty courses with more than eighty hours of continuing education to your employees. All courses are approved for ASCLS P.A.C.E.® credits. Learn more. Individuals can also earn ASCLS P.A.C.E.@reg; credits for laboratory continuing education at LabCE.com, our sister site.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost2-laboratory_continuing_education.aspx7/18/2008 11:24:35 AM ESTMediaLab, Inc. is proud to launch our redesigned website at www.MediaLabInc.net. You'll find lots of new information about our online compliance and continuing education courses, both for clinical laboratories and for individual medical laboratory technologists, technicians, and CLS students. Our homepage, www.MediaLabInc.net, shows how a MediaLab subscription can help your laboratory deliver customizable compliance and safety courses for OSHA, Medicare, HIPAA, and more. Provide your employees with ASCLS P.A.C.E.® credits for continuing education and license renewal. Track and document all employee training and CE with our powerful, easy-to-use learning management system. Customize MediaLab courses for your laboratory's unique needs, or build your own custom online courses, quizzes, and checklists. Laboratory subscriptions include 41 courses that cover OSHA safety, HIPAA and Medicare compliance, medical error prevention, quality control, and courses in laboratory disciplines like hematology, urinalysis, microbiology, blood banking, and more. Learn more about laboratory subscriptions at www.MediaLabInc.net. Subscriptions start at just $285/year for laboratories with up to 25 employees. MediaLab's companion at LabCE.com offers the same courses to individual medical laboratory technologists, laboratory technicians, and CLS students. Fulfill AMT, ASCP, and NCA recertification requirements, as well as state license renewal requirements for CA, FL, TN, LA, and more. Individual subscriptions are just $95/year and include access to all 41 MediaLab courses (just like a laboratory subscription). At LabCE.com, you can also play the FREE LabCE.com quiz game. Test your clinical laboratory science knowledge, review for ASCP Boards, and compete for today's high score. Start playing! Existing MediaLab subscribers will find that the "Subscriber Login" box has moved to the upper-right of the page.Site administrator should still click on the "Administrators" button to log in; students and subadministrators should click on the "Students" button. Both LabCE.com subscriptions and MediaLab subscriptions include the same courses and benefits. We've created two sites to help better organize the benefits and relevant features of our subscriptions for laboratories and individuals. Subscribers at both LabCE.com and MediaLab receive the same courses, updates, and continuing education credit. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail us at support@medialabinc.net.http://www.medialabinc.net/newspost1-new_site_and_website_redesign.aspx7/16/2008 2:34:31 PM EST