Introduction to Quality Control (Online Course)

Jean Houger Hengesbaugh, M.S,CLS(NCA) and Brad Westover B.S.

This course presents the basics of quality control in the clinical laboratory. Topics include assayed and unassayed controls, Levey-Jennings plots, Westgard rules, and standard deviation.

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Continuing Education Credits

• P.A.C.E.® Contact Hours: 1 hour(s)
• Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Science Credit Hours - Supervision/Administration, Quality Control/Quality Assurance, Safety: 1 hour(s)

Objectives

• Explain the purpose of a quality control program.
• Describe the advantages and disadvantages of commercially prepared control materials and control materials prepared in-house.
• Learn the following aspects of internal quality control:
  • control materials
  • delta check
  • variables
  • instrument maintenance
  • record keeping
• Learn the following aspects of external quality control:
  • federal requirements for laboratory participation
  • specific criteria for processing proficiency testing (PT) samples
  • testing agency information
• Prepare a Levey-Jennings control chart.
• List the Westgard multi-rules.
• Differentiate between random and systematic error.
• List possible causes for multi-rule errors.
• Given quality control results, apply the Westgard multi-rules and suggest action to take.

Course Outline

Click on a link in the outline to view a sample page from this course.

• Introduction to Quality Control
• What is Quality Control?
• Quality Control Procedures
• Federal Regulations
• Which of the following are components of a quality control program?
• Which of the following are not included in a quality control program?
• Internal and External Quality Control
• Internal Quality Control
• Control Materials
• Assayed and Unassayed Controls
• Use of Controls
• Control Testing Order
• Additional Variables
• Instrument Maintenance
• Record Keeping
• External Quality Control
• Which of the following can be determined using commercial unassayed controls?
• Are the following statements about controls true of false?
• Which of the following statements about external quality control are true?
• Which of the following statements about CLIA testing requirements are true?
• Statistical Analysis of Control Data
• Mean and Standard Deviation
• Calculating Acceptable Ranges
• Choose whether each statement refers to the mean or the standard deviation.
• For a certain method, a control has a mean result of 12 with a standard deviation of 2. What is the acceptable 95% range for this control?
• Quality Control Charts
• Levey-Jennings Quality Control Charts
• Random and Systematic Error
• Westgard Multi-Rules
• Tips on Using the Westgard Rules
• Which type of error does each rule usually detect?
• Which of the Westgard rules have been broken in this control chart?

Additional Information