Quality Assurance Management

The management of the treatment of the patient is carried out by quality assurance. Control of the processes that involve the patient and any laboratory results for that patient is maintained by quality assurance which establishes policies in a clinical laboratory.

Preparation of the patient for specimen collection, collection of valid samples, performing the laboratory analyses, validating the test results, and entering results into patient’s record are a part of the quality assurance process for the clinical laboratory. The laboratory test results should be reliable and accurate for the Physicians to use laboratory test data to make diagnoses and to determine the course of therapy, The collection, processing and transportation of specimen have great influence on the quality of the results.

Quality assurance programs monitor test requesting procedures, patient identification, specimen procurement, specimen labeling, laboratory personnel performance, laboratory instrumentation, reagents, and analytical test procedure, and the accuracy of the results.

Test requesting
The first step of quality assurance process begins from the requisition for each patient’s laboratory work completed by the physician directing the patient’s care. Patient’s identification data, the time and date of specimen collection, the source of the specimen, and the analyses to be done should be clearly and legibly mentioned on the request form accompanying the specimen. A computerized database at the hospital or clinic maintains the information needed by the physician to assist in ordering tests. Some laboratories calculate the turnaround time for analysis and for this a note of time of receipt of specimen is made.

Patient identification, Specimen procurement, and Labeling
Patients must be carefully identified. Hospitalized patients are identified by a wristband with the necessary information. Clinical specimens are properly labeled and identified using established specimen requirement information. All specimens should be handled as though they contained a hazardous agent or pathogen. The laboratory can accept only properly labeled specimens. The analytic result can only be as good as he specimen received.

Specimen transportation and processing
Specimens must be transported to the laboratory in a safe, timely, and efficient manner. A central receiving and processing facility area in laboratory monitors and records all incoming specimens and the request forms accompanying them.

Quality Control
Quality control activities include monitoring the performance of laboratory instruments, reagents, other testing products, and equipment. The written record of quality control activities for each procedure or function includes details of deviation from the usual results, problems, or failures in procedure, and corrective action taken. The National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards recommends that laboratory procedure manuals follow an exact pattern of organization.

In the laboratory, one of the duties as a phlebotomist of a technician is to ensure that samples are analyzed correctly. The laboratory technician should handle and process samples appropriately so that samples are not contaminated. Part of the technician’s duties as a phlebotomist in the laboratory therefore is to implement quality control and safety procedures

Written by Phlebotomy Training specialist Dr Shahbaz A. Cheema, Course Director for Maxis Healthcare who run NHS Accredited Phlebotomy Training courses for medical and non medical practitioners. Learn the 3 Steps To Become a Phlebotomist