Basic QC Practices
Those who don't learn from the past are condemned to repeat it. That saying is as applicable to QC practices as it is to the lessons of history. At the 2011 AACC/ASCLS convention, Dr. Westgard reviewed the history of quality control in laboratories, as well as its present problems and possible futures.
In 2011, David Housley, Principal Biochemist of the Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and his colleagues prepared an audit of the Internal QC (IQC) practices in laboratories across the United Kingdom. They have graciously agreed to share the results of this audit.
September 2007
with Sten Westgard, MS
We may want to do the Right QC Right, but often our adjustments of QC Theory to fit our 'real world' laboratory end up making us do the Wrong QC Wrong. This essay discusses why and where there are the differences between the theory of QC and the practice of QC.
Recently, the two Westgards did an all-day workshop for the CLMA Tidewater chapter in Williamsburg, Virginia. The theme of the workshop was "Quality Management: Putting the Puzzle Pieces Together." That got us to thinking...
Believe it or not, this is an actual comment from an QC action log (from a facility that shall remain nameless). At least the author was being honest about how he/she was performing their QC - by luck, not by science. If you still use 2s limits for your controls, you need to read this article. If you still repeat controls and runs until they're "in," you need to read this article. And for anyone who thinks that QC is just fine, you really, really need to read this article. (Preview)