Quality Of Laboratory Results Research Articles

The Role of Certified Medical Technologists in Providing Quality Laboratory Results

The purpose of this study was to assess the role of certified (ASCP) medical technologists in the production of quality laboratory results. The quality of laboratory results was represented by the proportion of satisfactory results on the College of American Pathologists (CAP) survey programs summarized into a Laboratory Quality Score (LQS). Data from Illinois state records for licensed laboratories provided the sample. When all tests were considered simultaneously, a significant positive correlation between the proportion of ASCP-certified medical technologists employed in the laboratory and the LQS was found. The strongest relationships were found in the laboratory areas of hematology/coagulation, microbiology, and diagnostic immunology/ syphilis serology. Even in an economic environment that demands cost containment, the quality of laboratory results must be maintained for delivery of appropriate patient care. The study confirms the influential role of certified medical technologists in producing quality test results, especially for tests in which judgment and interpretation are required for accurate reporting.

Use of the Control Chart in Clinical Chemistry

Abstract The routine use of control charts in the clinical chemical laboratory is well worth while. It cannot help but play a major role in raising the overall quality of laboratory results, and it provides a continuous index of the state of control of the test.