Past, present, and future of laboratory quality control: patient- based real-time quality control or when getting more quality at less cost is not wishful thinking
Alexander Katayev, James K. Fleming
Abstract
It is a well-known fact that clinical laboratory test results are one of major contributors to most if not all clinical decisions and are one of the most cost-efficient tools in the modern healthcare. However, they may also be a source of significant waste of resources and contribute to errors in patient management. In order to minimize the latter, clinical laboratories are responsible for development and implementation of the most rigorous quality control (QC) processes that should adhere to latest scientific advancements and highest industry standards. This review is an attempt to analyze some past, present, and future trends in laboratory QC processes, their drawbacks, limitations, and advantages. It is also intended to share the author’s experience in development and implementation of patient-based real-time QC processes and algorithms in the national reference laboratory network.