Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2025

Author Spotlight: Microbial Control and Monitoring Strategies for Cleanroom Environments and Cellular Therapies
Published on: March 17, 2023
Quality indicators in laboratory medicine: state-of-the-art, quality specifications and future strategies
Laura Sciacovelli1, Andrea Padoan2, Ada Aita2
1Laboratory Medicine Unit, University Hospital of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Abstract:
In the last few decades, quality in laboratory medicine has evolved in concert with the transformation and the changes (technological, scientific and organizational) in this sector. Laboratory professionals have faced great challenges, at times being overwhelmed, yet also involved in this progress. Worldwide, laboratory professionals and scientific societies involved in laboratory medicine have raised awareness concerning the need to identify new quality assurance tools that are effective in reducing the error rate and enhancing patient safety, in addition to Internal Quality Control (IQC) procedures and the participation in the External Quality Assessment Schemes (EQAS). The use of Quality Indicators (QIs), specifically designed for laboratory medicine are effective in assessing and monitoring all critical events occurring in the different phases of Total Testing Process (TTP), in particular, in the extra-analytical phases. The Model of Quality Indicators (MQI), proposed by the Working Group "Laboratory Errors and Patient Safety" (WG-LEPS) of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) and validated by experts in consensus conferences, is an important window of opportunity for the medical laboratory to demonstrate the use of an effective quality assurance tool fit for this purpose. Aim of this paper is to provide an update of the state-of-the-art concerning the most used QIs data collected in 2021 and the Quality Specifications (QSs) proposed for their evaluation. Moreover, a strategy for the future is proposed in order to improve the MQI and encourage its use in medical laboratories throughout the world.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Quality Assurance
Quality Control
Quality control helps track data, visualize trends, and identify variations, making it easier to detect deviations that may affect the accuracy of an analysis. One way to do this is by generating a quality control chart, which...
Data Validation
Key parameters for method validation include:
Key Techniques in Microbiology
Serum Laboratory Studies, Stool Test, Breath Test

