Basic Planning for Quality
Now that we agree that we need to plan quality, and that we've decided on a practical process to do it, there's just one hitch left: Where do we find quality requirements? How do we reconcile CLIA PT criterion, clinical decision levels, analytical quality requirements, biological variation, etc.? What does it mean when a salesman says his instrument is "state of the art"? What state? What art? Dr. Westgard introduces a system of quality standards to allow you to determine the quality required for every test. (Preview)
Ok, so we agree that we need to plan quality. But how to do it? Isn't it incredibly complex and consuming and therefore we simply don't have time for it? NO! There's an easy way to plan quality, a step-by-step process that we can use for every test in the lab. Read this to discover it. (Preview)
JCAHO, CLIA, NCCLS - which guidelines define quality in the lab? And which rules and requirements trump the other rules? Dr. Westgard sorts through all the different regulations, recommendations, and emerges with the critical directions. (Preview)
There's a way to plan instruments, methods, and procedures so quality is built-in from the start: Total Quality Management (TQM). This triage system allows you to rely on statistical qc for the easy methods, and emphasizez the non-statistical qc components for those harder methods. Dr. Westgard explains how to adopt and apply TQM where you work. (Preview)
What does the Abbott-FDA Decree mean? What was wrong with the quality of all those tests and why didn't any of the laboratories using those tests notice a problem? Dr. Westgard offers analysis, answers, and a roadmap for the future.