Promoting maintenance continuing education in a prospective payment environment.

Maintenance continuing education plays an important role in the laboratory by assuring a baseline of technical expertise. Paradoxically, it is liable to be de-emphasized in a prospective payment environment where supervisory staff will become increasing involved with technical responsibilities. The pathologist can sustain and promote maintenance continuing education by incorporating it into the written review of work guidelines. This cost effective maneuver is easily integrated into daily activities and affords the participating staff a flexibility not possible with traditional forms of CE.