Quality Control in Medical Laboratories

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to Quality Control in medical laboratories, including definitions of significant terms and methodologies.

Quality Control (QC)

Measures included during assay runs to verify that the test is working properly and to detect errors.

Quality Assurance (QA)

The overall program that ensures the final results reported by the laboratory are correct.

Analytical Sensitivity

Ability of a method to detect small quantities of an analyte.

Analytical Specificity

Ability of a method to detect only the analyte it is designed to determine.

Standard Deviation (SD)

Describes the scatter of scores around the mean, indicating the spread of data points.

Random Error

An error which varies unpredictably in magnitude and sign, affecting precision.

Systematic Error

An error that remains constant or varies according to a definite law under the same conditions, causing bias.

Pre-analytical Errors

Errors that occur before the sample reaches the laboratory.

Analytical Errors

Errors happening during the analysis of the sample.

Post-analytical Errors

Errors occurring after the analysis has been completed.

Total Quality Management (TQM)

An organization-wide approach to continuous improvement, emphasizing customer satisfaction.

Proficiency Testing

A quality assessment tool to determine the accuracy of laboratory test results.

Lean Production

A methodology that focuses on minimizing waste within manufacturing systems.

Six Sigma Process

A set of techniques and tools for process improvement aimed at reducing defects.

Quality Assessment

A means to determine the quality of results generated by the laboratory, including external and internal assessments.

Control Materials

Substances used to verify the performance of a laboratory test.

Diagnostic Sensitivity

The ability of a test to correctly identify affected individuals.

Diagnostic Specificity

The ability of a test to correctly identify non-affected individuals.

ISO 9000

A set of international standards for quality management and assurance.

Westgard Multirules

A set of statistical quality control rules to evaluate the performance of laboratory tests.