Lesson 11, QC Planning for Healthcare Laboratories, WesTgard ® Quality Corporation © 1997

Lesson 11: Applications - Can you really perform QC planning quickly - within one minute?

This lesson focuses on Normalized OPSpecs Charts and makes use of a web-based calculator for normalized operating points to provide a quick and easy way to apply the QC planning process. You need to print a series of normalized OPSpecs charts, then use the web calculator to determine the normalized operating point to be plotted manually on these charts. A series of examples are provided to give you enough practice to become proficient in using these tools - proficient meaning that you should be able to perform QC planning within one minute.

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Objectives:

Understand what a normalized OPSpecs chart is.
Learn to use a web-calculator to assist in applying normalized OPSpecs charts.
Learn to use normalized OPSpecs charts to select QC procedures.
Become proficient in selecting QC procedures within one minute.

Web materials:

Lesson: Normalized OPSpecs Charts
Web Tool: Calculator for normalized operating points (for use on the web)
Normalized OPSpecs charts for 90% AQA and Ns of 2(print this)
Normalized OPSpecs chart for 90% AQA and Ns of 4 (print this)
Normalized OPSpecs chart for 50% AQA and Ns of 2 (print this)
Normalized OPSpecs chart for 50% AQA and Ns of 4 (print this)

Things to do:

Study the materials.
Print the normalized OPSpecs charts.
Practice using the normalized OPSpecs calculator.
Practice QC planning until you can select a QC procedure within one minute.

Assessment: View the Answers

Select QC procedures for the following examples, using the Normalized OPSpecs Calculator and the Normalized OPSpecs charts. Time yourself. Continue with examples until you can perform QC planning within one minute.

Potassium at 5 mmol/L, s_meas 0.05 mmol/L, bias_meas 0.15 mmol/L
Glucose at 120 mg/dL, s_meas 1.5%, bias_meas 3.0%
Calcium at 10 mg/dL, s_meas 0.2 mg/dL, bias_meas 0.3 mg/dL
Cholesterol at 200 mg/dL, s_meas 4.0 mg/dL, bias_meas 4.0 mg/dL
Triglycerides at 200 mg/dL, s_meas 10 mg/dL, bias_meas 5 mg/dL
HDL cholesterol at 60 mg/dL, s_meas 3.6 mg/dL, bias_meas 0.0 mg/dL
Digoxin at 2.0 ug/L, s_meas 0.12 ug/dL, bias_meas 0.0 ug/dL

Now use the QC Validator program to select QC procedures. Assume that the following tests use 3 control materials - and click on the "3 Materials" Automatic QC Selection button. This should take you far less than a minute to perform.

Hemoglobin at 9 g/dL, s_meas 1.5%, bias_meas 0.0%
Prothrombin time at 12 sec, s_meas 0.4 sec, bias_meas 0.2 sec

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