Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

A user's classification of problems identified by proficiency testing surveys.

G G Klee1, R W Forsman

  • 1Division of Laboratory Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905.

Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
|April 1, 1988
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Plasma islet amyloid polypeptide is not an effective tumor marker for pancreatic cancer even when protease inhibitors and rapid freezing of specimens are utilized.

Clinical chemistry·2001
Same author

Islet amyloid polypeptide is not a satisfactory marker for detecting pancreatic cancer.

Gastroenterology·2001
Same author

Neuropeptide Y, leptin, and cholecystokinin 8 in patients with advanced cancer and anorexia: a North Central Cancer Treatment Group exploratory investigation.

Cancer·2001
Same author

Joint venture versus outreach: a financial analysis of case studies.

Clinical leadership & management review : the journal of CLMA·2001
Same author

Development of a dual monoclonal antibody immunoassay for total human kallikrein 2.

Clinical chemistry·2001
Same author

Prolonged inhibition of presynaptic catecholamine synthesis with alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine attenuates the circadian rhythm of human TSH secretion.

Journal of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation·2001

External proficiency testing flags do not always indicate laboratory errors. An investigation revealed causes including analytic issues, clerical mistakes, and survey criteria problems, highlighting the need for careful review of abnormal results.

Area of Science:

  • Clinical Laboratory Science
  • Quality Assurance in Healthcare
  • Medical Diagnostics

Background:

  • External proficiency surveys are crucial for laboratory quality assessment.
  • Unacceptable results in these surveys can trigger investigations into laboratory performance.
  • However, not all flags necessarily point to intrinsic laboratory testing deficiencies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the root causes of unacceptable results flagged during external proficiency testing.
  • To analyze the frequency of different error categories identified in a clinical laboratory setting.
  • To improve the interpretation of proficiency testing outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • A two-year retrospective analysis of proficiency testing results from three major survey programs (College of American Pathologists, Centers for Disease Control, State of New York).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Categorization of all encountered "unacceptable" survey flags into predefined causes.
  • Quantitative assessment of the prevalence of each identified cause.

    • Main Results:

    • Possible analytic measurement problems accounted for 28% of flags.
    • Clerical errors (transcription/forms) were responsible for 16% of flags.
    • Inappropriate survey criteria (17%) and specimen issues (11%) were also significant contributors, with 23% having no identifiable cause.

    Conclusions:

    • External proficiency testing flags require thorough investigation beyond assuming laboratory error.
    • A significant proportion of flags result from factors external to the core analytic process, such as clerical or survey-related issues.
    • Understanding these diverse causes is essential for accurate quality assessment and targeted improvement strategies in laboratory medicine.