Guest Essay
Dr. Sharon Ehrmeyer is back again! You may remember her article on regulations in our Basic QC Practices series. In this article, she explains which regulations and standards and agencies are involved with Method Validation. A must-read reference.
Dr. Callum G. Fraser, one of the leading experts in defining quality goals, has provided us with an article based on his presentation at the 1998 Fourth European Conference Quality [r]evolution in Clinical Laboratories in Antwerp. Dr. Fraser provides a detailed discussion of biologic goals and describes the process as well as the sources of data. Links in the essay are provided to tables on this webiste that contain the data.
Dr. Heidi Steensland, head of the the Norwegian EQA, presents us with the results of a QC Validator workshop. Over 40 QC Validator users from more than 25 laboratories in Norway gathered to discuss the use and application of the QC Validator program. They shared their results with us, and now we share them with you.
Kathleen P. Freeman DVM, Ph.D., offers a testimonial on how she used the Westgard QC Planning Process to improve the quality of her laboratory. Hey, even pets need QC! (And if your dog's blood tests are performed with better QC than your own lab tests, shouldn't you do something about it?)
From accuracy to working standard, ISO plans to redefine all the terminology used in the laboratory. Dr. Xavier Fuentes-Arderiu, who provided us with the Biological Data Bank, now presents an essay on the proposed changes. See also Dr. Westgard's comments on the usefulness of these proposals.