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Quality Control

Learn about the importance of quality control in clinical laboratories as per CLIA ‘88 standards. Understand the process, types of errors, and requirements for maintaining accuracy in tests. Comprehensive guidance on QC procedures.

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Quality Control

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  1. Quality Control Barbara Weberman MT(ASCP) Oakland County Health Division Laboratory Supervisor

  2. Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act of 1988 (CLIA ‘88) Set Minimum Standards for Quality Control (QC) Placed tests into complexity categories • High complexity • Moderate complexity • Waived The Rapid HIV tests are considered waived

  3. Quality Control • Process that tracks the ability of reagents, instrumentation, and personnel to obtain an accurate result How many controls How often Minimum requirements for waived tests are the manufacturer’s recommendations in the package insert

  4. There should be at least one control per reportable result Reportable results include positive and negative results Follow manufacturer’s recommendation May vary per institution Variables can include per shift, day, week, month, lot number, shipment, personnel How many, how often?

  5. What is the goal of QC? • To detect SIGNIFICANT errors rapidly • Report out good results in a timely manner • Be cost effective and simple to use • If there is an error, identify the source of the error

  6. What is an error??? A wrong answer. A significant error is one that changes the diagnosis Wrong answers can be caused by random errors or by systematic errors

  7. Random=Fluctuations Temperature Personnel Systematic Reagent problem Device problem Types of Errors

  8. Internal and External Controls • Internal controls are built into the test device, such as a control line in a pregnancy test • External controls consist of samples of a known value that you test as if they were a patient’s sample

  9. Rapid HIV Oraquick Advance QC • Internal control • External controls –HIV 1, HIV 2, Negative • Controls must be run and must perform as expected before any patients results are reported • Daily – temperature documentation • Frequency of external controls: • High volume sites once per day • Low volume sites once per week • Off site or mobile location once per day

  10. Oraquick Quality Control Additionally, controls must be run: • With each new lot number of test devices • With each new operator before testing any clients for the first time • With each new shipment of test kits received • If there is any change in the conditions of testing (new location, lighting, temperature, etc) • If the temperature of the test storage area has fallen outside of range (35 C-80 C) • If the temperature of the testing area has fallen outside of range (59-99 C) • Whenever two consecutive invalid test results are obtained on the same client • If there is a QC failure, repeat the QC

  11. In summary • Perform QC according to your written procedure • The procedure should at a minimum follow the manufacturer’s recommendation • Document, document, document • No test should be reported out unless the QC for that test is complete and correct

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