Posted by Sten Westgard, MS
A recent abstract from the 2009 IFCC/EFCC (Euromedlab) caught my eye:
Quality Indicators for Laboratory Process; assessment in the Trento Department of Laboratory Medicine.
I Caola, C Pellegrini, N Bergamo, E Saurini, P Caciagli.
CCLM 2009
Examining the quality records of five laboratories, they applied a set of Quality Indicators from the IFCC. Errors were tracked and tabulated. The results are quite interesting.
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Posted by Sten Westgard, MS
A recent question came in from outside the US, regarding the choice of controls and EQA/PT provider. In such a case, there are often economies gained by choosing the same vendor for both control materials and EQA/PT materials. But the theory of quality control and assurance dictates that you should have independent checks on your processes. Indeed, in some countries, there are regulations which prevent control manufacturers from selling proficiency testing materials for precisely that reason.
This is a difficult issue, one that epitomizes the struggle between efficiency (cost) and safety (quality).
More after the fold...
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Posted by Sten Westgard, MS
I have been meaning to post this for some time. Our good friend and colleagues, Dietmar
Stöckl and Linda Thienpont, started their own website in the latter part of 2008: STT-Consulting
Posted by Sten Westgard, MS
Posted by Sten Westgard, MS
Following up on the previous post on what doctors know about laboratory testing, here's another survey plumbing the depths of their knowledge. This study is a survey of general practitioners, intern doctors, and medical students in Spain:
The degree of knowledge shown by physicians in relation to the variability of laboratory test results.
Emilio Flores, Maria Leiva, Carlos Leiva-Salinas and Maria Salinas
Clin Chem Lab Med 2009;47(3):381-382.
What do you think they found?
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By Sten Westgard, MS
In celebration of Laboratory Week 2009, we'll be giving away (a limited number of ) free registrations to our new and upcoming online course.
Quality Management and Design of Analytical Systems, an Introduction
This course provides the background for understanding QC Design, with emphasis on available guidelines, quality goals, QC Design tools, and practical directions concerning the information needed to perform QC Design.
If you're interested, here's how to include yourself in the running...
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Posted by Sten Westgard, MS
Some recent articles on the subject of Quality Indicators have reminded me that analytical quality is to laboratory management much like the laboratory is to the hospital: over-worked, under-appreciated, and assumed to be of reliably excellent quality.
- Laboratory Medicine Quality Indicators: A Review of the Literature, Shahram Shahangian, PhD, MS, and Susan R. Snyder, PhD, MBA, Am J Clin Pathol 2009;131:418-431
- A Summary of Deliberations on Strategic Planning for Continuous Quality Improvement in Laboratory Medicine, Dana Marie Grzybicki, MD, PhD, Shahram Shahangian, PhD, Anne M. Pollock and Stephen S. Raab, MD. Am J Clin Pathol 2009;131:315-320.
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Posted by Sten Westgard, MS
This week two Harvard doctors wrote an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal: Why 'Quality' care is dangerous (subscription may be required, depending on time of access). In this essay, they warn of the dangers of what they term the "quality metrics" that provide the basis for "pay-for-performance" systems that may govern physician reimbursement. Under any of the proposed healthcare reforms, P4P schemes may be used as a way to "incentivize" doctors and clinicians to provide the right care to their patients.
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