[Laboratory operations in general practice--where do we stand, concerning quality assurance projects?]

In 1992 a project was started by the Norwegian Medical Association to secure the quality of laboratory work performed on physicians' own premises in Norway. The project is now well established in all 19 counties and more than 90% of the practices participate on a voluntary basis. In each county a central clinical chemistry laboratory with a specially engaged laboratory adviser is responsible for assisting the general practitioners and specialists with the laboratory work performed on their own premises. The assistance includes visits, telephone contacts and education courses. An external quality control scheme is carried out by a national centre, which distributes samples of unknown concentrations to all the participants. The whole project is coordinated by a steering committee, which arranges national meetings annually. Working groups have been appointed to elucidate more complicated and time-consuming subjects, such as guidelines for internal quality control, evaluation of equipment and education programmes. A set of written manuals for all kinds of working procedures has recently been prepared and adjusted individually to each physician's premises.