Sentinel Lab Director Survey Introduction - BCC-Pre

Appendix E1

Date

Dear Laboratory Director:

The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are working together through a CDC cooperative agreement to develop metrics to measure the dissemination, recognition, awareness, and uptake of evidence-based laboratory medicine practice guidelines. Our first metric is an important survey on awareness and use of laboratory practice guidelines to reduce blood culture contamination. In time, additional surveys will be conducted to gather information on baseline laboratory practices in advance of published guidelines for the rapid identification of blood stream infections, urine transport and C. difficile testing. The survey responses will help us to improve dissemination and implementation of laboratory guidelines in order to reduce hospital costs and improve patient care and safety throughout the country.

To reach all U.S. laboratories that process bacterial and fungal blood cultures, we are asking all laboratories that are members of their state Laboratory Response Network to complete this baseline survey by (insert date- TBD upon OMB approval) 2015. Participation is completely voluntary and all survey responses will be kept anonymous. The respondent should be a microbiology supervisor if employed at your laboratory. If not, the respondent can be either the laboratory director or laboratory manager. The survey requires a computer with Internet access and should take no more than 35 minutes to complete. To access the survey, enter https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3Y9Z38P into your browser.

In order to ensure the best possible statistical analysis, we request that only one person per laboratory responds to the survey. In order to assure this, the respondent will be asked to enter the 10-digit CLIA number for your laboratory, as indicated on your CLIA certificate. The CLIA number will be used to assure that there is only one response per laboratory and to link this baseline survey to a follow-up survey that will be disseminated in approximately six months. The CLIA number will not be used to identify or rate the performance of any laboratory or individual. At the conclusion of the study, all CLIA numbers and email addresses collected will be de-linked from the survey results and will not be stored in a database.

On behalf of ASM and CDC, thank you for your participation! If you have any questions, please email clinmicro@asmusa.org.

Sincerely,

Alice S. Weissfeld, Ph.D., D(ABMM), F(AAM)

Chair, ASM’s Committee on Evidence-based Laboratory Medicine Practice Guidelines

1752 N Street, NW • Washington, DC • 20036-2904 • tel: 202-737-3600