Basic QC Practices
September 2007
with Sten Westgard, MS
We may want to do the Right QC Right, but often our adjustments of QC Theory to fit our 'real world' laboratory end up making us do the Wrong QC Wrong. This essay discusses why and where there are the differences between the theory of QC and the practice of QC.
Believe it or not, this is an actual comment from an QC action log (from a facility that shall remain nameless). At least the author was being honest about how he/she was performing their QC - by luck, not by science. If you still use 2s limits for your controls, you need to read this article. If you still repeat controls and runs until they're "in," you need to read this article. And for anyone who thinks that QC is just fine, you really, really need to read this article. (Preview)
Dr. Westgard explains the bare minimum everyone needs to know, and goes on to detail what laboratory technicians, medical technologists, clinical laboratory scientists, clinical chemists, QC specialists, supervisors, managers, and even directors need to know about quality control in their laboratory. If you see your title on this list, check out the essay and find out if you know all you should know.
Many laboratories and manufacturers say that they "do" quality control - but can't explain what level of quality they're acheiving. The term "Quality Control" is much-abused. In many cases, Dr. Westgard explains that what laboratories are actually performing is arbitrary control, not quality control. How do we put the quality back into quality control? Reading this essay is a good start.