The New Generation of Online Laboratory Training

The COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented public health emergency that demanded the collaboration of many government agencies, medical communities, and scientific disciplines. Effective testing platforms were developed, but clinical and public health laboratories urgently needed free training and resources for support. In response, in 2021, the CDC’s Training and Workforce Development Branch launched the CDC OneLab™ initiative. OneLab has several elements to help laboratory and testing professionals skillfully adapt to meet today’s evolving public health challenges through reliable diagnostics and expertise. 

What is the CDC OneLab initiative?  

The CDC OneLab initiative bridges, trains, and sustains a network of clinical and public health laboratory professionals and testers to support rapid, large-scale responses to public health emergencies. OneLab aims to build capacity and establish a sustainable learning community that equips the laboratory workforce and testing community with the essential tools and resources to improve public health and patient outcomes. Anyone can register for this free service from the CDC. Once registered, members can access all webinars, job aids, videos, FAQs, and eLearning courses.  

What is OneLab REACH?  

OneLab REACH™ (Rapid Education and Capacity-building Hub) is a learning management system customized for laboratory professionals and the testing community. The OneLab REACH platform is the center of activity. OneLab REACH offers free printable and video job aids, P.A.C.E.® (Professional Acknowledgment for Continuing Education) contact hours, and an expanding catalog of free eLearning and virtual reality courses. The platform provides relevant training resources that cover crucial topics, including preparedness and response; quality and safety; core science, laboratory fundamentals, informatics, diagnostic testing; packing and shipping; and workforce development.  

What is OneLab Network, and how can laboratory professionals benefit from this community?   

OneLab Network is a free collaborative community of clinical and public health laboratory professionals. It offers members resources to meet the most pressing laboratory training and educational needs. Through OneLab Network, members can learn from online events and participate in a laboratory community of practice.  

OneLab Network events allow members to provide real-time feedback about topics that interest them most. This feedback may result in the creation of additional training and resources on those topics. OneLab Network events are recorded and available for later viewing. Anyone can join OneLab Network for free by registering at OneLab REACH. 

What are the other OneLab elements?  

In addition to OneLab REACH and OneLab Network, the OneLab initiative includes the following five elements: OneLab Summit, OneLab VR, OneLab Resources, OneLab TEST, and OneLab Assessments. 

• OneLab Summit is a free 3-day online symposium featuring speakers from a variety of clinical and public health laboratories. 

• OneLab VR is a free virtual reality environment with a growing list of training scenarios across 12 virtual laboratories.

• OneLab Resources include free video and printable job aids, and toolkits for laboratory professionals and the testing community.

• OneLab TEST (Timely Education and Support of Testers) provides free programming for those offering testing at non-laboratory sites.

• OneLab Assessments inform the training resources developed for OneLab. 

Why is the OneLab initiative an important tool for laboratories?   

The OneLab initiative gives laboratory and testing professionals free access to essential tools and resources to improve public health and patient outcomes. OneLab offers essential eLearning courses on important topics, such as the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA).

Free customizable resources such as diagnostic testing job aids help improve quality and laboratory safety. Laboratory professionals, including trainers and supervisors, can share training needs and feedback through the onelab@cdc.gov inbox.

OneLab aims to build capacity and establish a sustainable learning community that equips the laboratory workforce and testing community with the essential tools and resources to improve public health and patient outcomes. Anyone can sign up for this free service from CDC. Once registered, members have access to all webinars, job aids, videos, FAQs, and eLearning courses. Join CDC OneLab today.