CLINICAL LAB SCIENEC

Quality Assurance
CHAPTER 10
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this chapter, the reader will be able to:
• Compare the meanings of
accuracy and precision and
know how each is measured.
• Discuss the term “clinical
significance” and relate it
to the reporting of laboratory
results.
• Identify four components of
quality assurance.
• Describe how a Levey-Jennings
chart would indicate
deterioration or changes in
reagents and equipment.
• Compare the use of F-tests
and t-tests.
• Provide the three major values
used in computing an average
value for a set of control values.
• Discuss the meanings of
standard deviation and
coefficient of variation.
• List the three categories of
errors that may routinely occur
in the performance of laboratory
tests.
• Compare and contrast
sensititivity and specificity.
KEY TERMS
Accuracy
Analyte
Analytical error
Clinically normal persons
Clinical signifi cance
Coefficient of variation (CV)
Continuous quality
improvement (CQI)
Cumulative sum (CUSUM)
control chart
Efficiency
F -test
Levey-Jennings charts
Mean
Median
Mode
Normal distribution frequency
Percentage
Population norms
Postanalytical error
Preanalytical error
Precision
Predictive value
Profi ciency testing (PT) programs
Quality assurance
Quality control programs
Random error
Reproducibility
Screening tests
Sensitivity
Shift
Specificity
Square root
Standard deviation
t-test
Trend
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