Hello all, Reviewing our tech's competency assessment for 2013 thus far - and I have a few questions for all of you that I'm hoping you can help with: 1. Regarding the 6 elements - we have direct observation checklists that account for 5 of the 6 of these. However, we always struggle with the "assessment of test performance through previously analyzed specimens, internal blind sample testing, CAP specimen, etc..." If a tech has completed a CAP survey for a testing procedure - this counts for that. However, we have many more techs than CAP specimens. Do you create blind samples for everyone for each procedure? Seems like a HUGE job. 2. Which brings me to this: What do you do to satisfy this element for the tests that you perform infrequently? In our case in hematology/coags - I've got Kleihauer Betke stains and sperm screens I'm most concerned about (post-vasectomy only). To create a "blind sample" for everyone to complete a Kleihauer would be extremely time consuming and expensive (we'd blow through tons of kits doing this). And, I don't even want to get into the logistics of a sperm screen "blind sample" - how do you fake this one? lol Obviously, there are options and ways around these things - I'm just trying to get a feeling for what everyone else does. Any help you could provide would be great. Thanks, Kristen