Quality Improvement Tools and Techniques in Clinical Laboratories

Abstract

Quality, throughout the ages, constitutes the cornerstone of meeting the needs and expectations of the customer- user of a product or service. The commitment of both the management and the human resources as a whole is required. Quality assessment in products and services has evolved gradually, from inspection and control, to quality assurance and finally to total quality management. Proper implementation and management of the quality system require the development of a set of appropriate techniques and tools. Successful use of these tools provides valuable data for quality decision making and boost its’ improvement. It’s important to choose the appropriate tools for the issue we want to investigate. The most common difficulties in implementing the tools are the lack of required resources, the lack of time and the lack of understanding of how to collect data and how to apply them. Appropriate training for all members of the organization becomes extremely necessary.