[Quality control of laboratory services in primary health care in Finland]

Finland is the only Nordic country with a nationwide system of quality control of the activities of the clinical laboratories, which covers both specialized and primary medical care. Practical experience of this quality control is reported. In empirical terms the organization functions well and the level attained by the health centre laboratories matches that of those at the central hospitals. Thus tests performed on patients at the health centres need not be repeated in hospital by reason of inferior quality.