Training and Proficiency in the Medical Review of Job Applicant Drug Screens

A survey was performed to examine the proficiency of urine drug screen medical review officers (MROs) and the effect of training upon their performance. One hundred thirty-nine attendees of the ACOEM basic MRO training course, and 82 attendees of the advanced course completed both pre- and postcours...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of occupational medicine 1992-12, Vol.34 (12), p.1189-1196
Main Authors: Upfal, Mark J., Markell, Barbara
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Clinical Competence
Humans
Job Application
Legislation. Organization
Medical sciences
Miscellaneous
Occupational Health
Occupational medicine
Occupational Medicine - education
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Quality Assurance, Health Care
Substance Abuse Detection
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Summary:A survey was performed to examine the proficiency of urine drug screen medical review officers (MROs) and the effect of training upon their performance. One hundred thirty-nine attendees of the ACOEM basic MRO training course, and 82 attendees of the advanced course completed both pre- and postcourse surveys. The questionnaires included 10 vignettes with positive analytical results, of which only half should be reported as positive to management. The mean number of correct responses among the 10 cases presented were: basic pre-test—4.91; basic post-test—7.45; advanced pretest—6.68; advanced post-test—7.33. Differences between all four groups were significant (P < .001 to = .003), except for the basic post-test versus the advanced post-test, for which there was no significant difference. It is concluded that 1) inadequate knowledge and skill in the medical review of drug screens may contribute to errors in reports to management, 2) physician 's performance can be improved with training, and 3) certification of MROs in both the private and public sectors should be considered.
ISSN:0096-1736
2332-3795