Quality Assurance and Automation

Quality Assurance/Quality Assessment

• The overall process put in place to ensure quality patient care

• Quality system - encompasses all the laboratory processes, policies, procedures, and resources required to accomplish quality testing

• Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) ensures quality of laboratory of testing

  • Overseen by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

• Phases of testing:

  • Pre-analytical - specimen collection, processing, and storage

  • Analytical - test performance, calibration, maintenance, and personnel requirements

  • Post analytical - interpretation and result reporting

Quality Control

• Verifies the reliability, accuracy, and precision of testing

• Proficiency testing by CAP is mandated by CLIA and