What's New on Westgard Web: January 2012

Posted by Sten Westgard, MS

New Year, New Goals, New Risks

2012 promises to be a year of big changes for healthcare and for laboratories. Does the future hold new risks in our regulations? Better QC Plans and goals? Dr. Westgard looks ahead.

Did your laboratory resolve to embrace Risk Analysis this year?

New Goals: 2012 Biologic Variation Database Update

For the 7th time, Dr. Carmen Ricos and her colleagues in Spain have updated the biologic variation database. The new edition now lists 369 analytes, including 45 new analytes and important new revisions for analytes like Troponin I and HbA1c. We are so grateful to the Ricos group for allowing us to host the database on the website.

Read about what new analytes were added
See the desirable specifications for Total Allowable Error, Imprecision and Bias
See the optimal specifications
See the references
See the reference list

An example of Sigma-metrics applied to a network of laboratories

Applying Sigma-metrics to a single test can seem daunting. What happens when you apply it to a whole network of laboratories? More than 70 tests on multiple instruments in multiple laboratories. A guest essay by Dr. Nuthar Jassam explains how it was done and what results they found.

What's the Sigma of a whole system? 

A Risk Analysis example: Prospective Risk Analysis (PRA)

Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) is the most common tool associated with Risk Analysis, but it's not the only one.  PRA is a very similar tool that can also be applied to healthcare processes. See what PRA shares in common with FMEA - and what we can learn about the strengths and weaknesses of both Risk analysis techniques.

Does it matter if Criticality is a number?