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External Quality Assessment beyond the analytical phase: an Australian perspective
Tony Badrick1, Stephanie Gay1, Euan J McCaughey2
1Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Quality Assurance Program, St Leonards, Australia.
Biochemia Medica
|April 11, 2017
Summary
External Quality Assessment (EQA) in Australian laboratories needs to expand beyond test accuracy to include pre- and post-testing diagnostic phases. Developing EQA programs for these phases is crucial for patient safety and laboratory effectiveness.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Laboratory Science
- Diagnostic Accuracy
- Patient Safety
Background:
- External Quality Assessment (EQA) traditionally focuses on laboratory test accuracy.
- Pre- and post-laboratory testing phases (diagnostic phases) are significant sources of errors impacting patient care.
- Australian laboratories currently have limited EQA programs for these critical diagnostic phases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To advocate for the expansion of EQA programs in Australian laboratories.
- To highlight the importance of including diagnostic phases in EQA initiatives.
- To propose methods for developing and implementing EQA for diagnostic phases.
Main Methods:
- Review of current EQA practices in Australian laboratories.
- Identification of potential EQA strategies for diagnostic phases, including scenarios and health informatics.
- Consideration of technological advancements like electronic ordering and clinical decision support systems.
Main Results:
- Current EQA in Australia is narrowly focused on test accuracy, neglecting diagnostic phases.
- Significant potential exists for developing EQA programs for diagnostic phases using innovative approaches.
- Collaboration with referring doctors and careful data de-identification are essential for successful program development.
Conclusions:
- There is a high value in developing EQA programs for the diagnostic phases.
- Involvement in diagnostic phase EQA can help monitor processes, identify, learn from, and reduce errors.
- Pathology laboratories should actively pursue EQA involvement in diagnostic phases for improved patient safety and laboratory performance.