Printed from acutecaretesting.org
Articles and journal scans about Quality assurance
Article
July 2008
How to Avoid Preanalytical Testing Errors: A Virtual Roundtable Discussion
It is estimated that a majority of all laboratory medicine errors are errors that occur during the preanalytical phase of the laboratory testing cycle. Such errors have a significant impact on patient safety, staff workload, and hospital costs.
Correctly identifying patients and avoiding specimen-labeling errors are...
Point-of-care testing
Preanalytical phase
Quality assurance
Glucose
Article
November 2007
Automating shunt calculation improves analytical quality
Tartu University Hospital has improved the quality of blood gas testing in its clinical laboratory and critical care units by introducing an automatic system for blood gas analysis.
Not only did the quality of processes in the preanalytical phase improve, but also the automatic calculation of pO2(A-a), for APACHE...
Information management
Blood gases/acid-base
Process optimization
Quality assurance
Creatinine/urea
Article
July 2007
Is there a QC Gap?
This essay is a follow-up to the 2006 series expressing concern that there is a widespread gap between QC theory and QC practice. Now we are giving you, the reader, the opportunity to rate your own QC practice and to help prove or disprove that gap.
If the QC theories generally recommended by recognized QC experts ...
Quality assurance
Article
May 2007
Standards Provide a Quality Approach to Blood Gas Analysis
Blood gas analysis is a complex field that has a direct impact on patient care in a critical care environment. Healthcare professionals consistently emphasize high-quality results in order to properly treat patients, and recognize the need and usefulness of quality standards.
Using a path-of-workflow analysis as part ...
Quality assurance
Article
May 2007
How to reduce analyzer downtime and improve processes
Technology is available worldwide to help us carry out
diversified tasks and work in an easier, faster, and more efficient
way.
Furthermore, technology can help us prevent analyzer downtime
and failures that may have serious consequences for both business
and patients. This article gives an overview of some of the...
Process optimization
Quality assurance
Article
April 2007
The use of heparin in preparing samples for blood gas analysis
The significance of good practice during the pretesting
phase of clinical laboratory investigation cannot be
overemphasized.
The production of high-quality, accurate results
which are clinically useful depends as much on practice before the
patient’s sample reaches the laboratory as it does on the
analytical phase...
Preanalytical phase
Quality assurance
Glucose
Article
January 2007
All you need to know about mock inspections
Mock inspections are a great way to prepare for
real-life inspections from regulatory agencies such as CAP and
JCAHO. But where do you start? And most importantly, what should
you look for?
Lou Ann Wyer, Clinical Specialist, POCT at the
Virginia-based Sentara Laboratory Services and Theresa Kulik,
Point-of-care...
Point-of-care testing
Quality assurance
Glucose
Article
October 2006
What can you do to close the QC gap?
This is the forth and final essay in a series of four essays on www.acutecaretesting.org.
The first essay, "Quality control in theory and practice – a gap analysis", raised the question: Has “the system” given front-line laboratory workers the knowledge and tools they need to make quality control decisions wisely? Or ...
Quality assurance
Article
October 2006
Mayo Clinic’s 10 key factors for creating and maintaining a quality POC program
What does it take to create and maintain a quality point-of-care program in a world-renowned healthcare institution? acutecaretesting.org recently asked that question to Paula Santrach, MD, Interim Chair of the Dept. of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the Mayo Clinic in the US. She came back with a list* of 10...
Point-of-care testing
Quality assurance
Glucose
Article
July 2006
Quality control… the gap deepens
This is the third in a series of four essays on www.acutecaretesting.org.
The first essay, "Quality control in theory and practice – a gap analysis", raised the question: Has “the system” given front-line laboratory workers the knowledge and tools they need to make quality control decisions wisely? Or is there a...
Quality assurance
Glucose