MONITORING QUALITY INDICATORS IN A MEDIUM-SIZED LABORATORY OF SOUTH BENGAL: MOVING TOWARDS ACCREDITATION

Abstract

Introduction: Documenting and monitoring quality indicators are important to improve the quality of a laboratory. The objective of this study was to record the quality indicators of a clinical laboratory and prepare it for accreditation by National Accreditation Board of Laboratories (NABL) as per ISO 15189. Materials And Methods: A total of 9 quality indicators in different phases of sample analyses viz. pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical were monitored for 21459 samples over a period of one year. Results: Incomplete requisition forms were the most common outlier (2.5%) in the pre-analytical phase followed by samples not maintaining cold chain during transport (2.1%). Internal non-conformance with quality control was seen in 0.6% of samples in analytical phase. In post analytical phase, turnaround time (TAT) could not be maintained for 8% of the samples. Conclusion: Monitoring and recording quality indicators give us an idea about the performance of a medical laboratory. Therefore, working with a goal to reduce quality indicator outliers will improve the quality of a laboratory and ultimately enhance patient care. Moreover, it can help comparing different laboratories in a particular area based on performance.