How is QUALITY maintained in Laboratories?

A simple word ‘Quality ’, yet means a lot! The word ‘Quality’ comes with an additional aspect of trust building and fulfillment of expectations. World Quality Day is celebrated on the Thursday of the second week of November every year; this year 8 th November 2018. So, in sync with this year’s theme ‘Quality: A question of trust’ let us understand how a laboratory can ensure quality at each step.

What does quality mean?

  • Quality is the degree of excellence of a product or thing.
  • It is the confidence to have given or obtained the best of something.
  • Four components namely, quality planning, quality assurance, quality control and continuous improvement represent it.
  • By checking the statistically significant variations quality can be maintained.

What are the indices of Quality?

  • The indices of quality includes adherence to Quality Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), proper work instructions and utilization of statistical tools to check for deviations in reports.

What happens when there is no Quality?

  • Cascading effects on healthcare outcome.
  • Lack of quality leads to erroneous results, sample mismatch, resultant inaccurate treatment due to wrong reports and loss of the end user’s trust.

How Thyrocare ensures Quality?

  • Thyrocare processes over 60,000 samples each day ensuring quality with near 0% failure in quality management system.

Pre-analytical phase:

  • Samples come in exclusively pre-barcoded sample collection tubes provided by Thyrocare.
  • The samples are transported within 24 to 48 hours in brand verified and attested chiller boxes.
  • Sample collection is done as per the sample collection manual.
  • All information on client/ patient and test done are as online entry against sample barcode.
  • Automated sample sorting depending on barcode information.

Analytical phase:

  • Automation is the key to minimize errors!
  • With automation like Aptio TM, equipped with bi-directional Laboratory Information System (LIS), each operational stage is Information Technology (IT) enabled and controlled.
  • Quality Control (QC) results as well as patient results are fetched and reported through IT enabled systems.

Post-analytical phase:

  • It is crucial for sample archiving and storage as necessary for accreditation apart from query handling or additional testing needs. Beyond all of these we also participate in Proficiency Testing programs like external quality assurance (EQAS), CAP and Inter-lab.
    Our quality certifications like ISO (International Standards Organization), NABL (National Board of Accreditation for Laboratories) and CAP (College of American Pathologists) speaks volumes of our Quality Management System.
    Next time you step inside a lab, check if they have all of these, as only then proper quality can be easily and routinely assured!