What's On Our Plate Today? Automating Microbiology Plate Rounds and Measuring Clinical Impact

Microbiology plate rounds typically involve laboratory-based review of culture results. At our hospital system, this process includes regular review of positive results from sterile sites and other specimen types with clinically significant organisms in collaboration with infectious diseases (ID), stewardship and pharmacy teams. We documented the clinical and educational impact of 38 consecutive plate rounds at two hospitals in our system, demonstrating the role of this activity in promoting trainee education, patient safety, and diagnostic and antimicrobial stewardship. We also developed an application to streamline the plate rounds preparation process.

After viewing this lecture, participants should be able to:

1. Develop criteria for curating and prioritizing clinically significant laboratory results for multidisciplinary rounds discussions.

2. Apply a structured impact-tracking approach to capture and categorize the clinical outcomes of rounds discussions.

3. Assess how multidisciplinary rounds participation enhances trainee learning across specialties.

Thao Truong, PhD, D (ABMM) Assistant Professor, Infectious Disease Diagnostics Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology University of Washington

11/04/26

The University of Washington is committed to ensuring digital accessibility in our services, programs, and activities. If you encounter accessibility barriers using videos found on this channel, please contact UW Video at uwvideo [at] uw [dot] edu.