THE ACCELL SERIES-2000 AS A SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR TRAINING AND EVALUATION IN EDUCATIONAL AND CLINICAL SETTINGS

Providing effective training, retraining and evaluation programs, incl uding proficiency testing programs,for cytoprofessionals is a challeng e shared by many academic and clinical educators internationally. In c ytopathology the quality of training has immediately transferable and critically important impacts on satisfactory performance in the clinic al setting. Well-designed interactive computer-assisted instruction an d testing programs have been shown to enhance initial learning and to reinforce factual and conceptual knowledge. Computer systems designed not only to promote diagnostic accuracy but to integrate and streamlin e work flow in clinical service settings are candidates for educationa l adaptation. The AcCell 2000 system, designed as a diagnostic screeni ng support system, offers technology that is adaptable to educational needs during basic and in-service training as well as testing of scree ning proficiency in both locator and identification skills. We describ e the considerations, approaches and applications of the AcCell 2000 s ystem in education programs for both training and evaluation of gyneco logic diagnostic screening proficiency.