Proficiency testing and alternative assessment procedures

By Terri Molloy

There are several requirements addressing proficiency testing (PT) which licensed laboratories in Ontario must meet in order to be accredited. OLA Version 5.0:

• VII.9 The laboratory shall participate in interlaboratory comparisons such as those organized by external quality assessment schemes for all examinations included within accreditation. When a formal interlaboratory program is not available or feasible, see VII.10.

• VII.9.2 Proficiency testing and external quality assessment samples shall be treated as much as possible in the same manner as patient samples.

• VII.9.3 There shall be no interlaboratory communication on proficiency testing and/or external quality assessment data before results are reported.

• VII.9.4 The laboratory shall document and record results from proficiency testing and/or external quality assurance programs.

Eye on OLA: OLA to accredit medical laboratories in New Brunswick

Beginning immediately, OLA will offer its accreditation services to New Brunswick’s 23 medical laboratories. These services will be provided under a five-year agreement between the Government of New Brunswick and the Institute for Quality Management in Healthcare (IQMH).

New Brunswick considered various accreditation programs following a recommendation by Justice Paul S. Creaghan through the Commission of Inquiry into Pathology Services at the Miramichi Regional Hospital in 2008, to create appropriate safeguards to ensure the quality of services provided by New Brunswick hospitals. He recommended the Department of Health and the two regional health authorities set standards for quality assurance. An ad-hoc group established in April 2009 reviewed existing accreditation programs using weighted criteria. OLA’s accreditation requirements and assessment process were unanimously chosen as the best to accredit New Brunswick medical laboratories.

Red Blood Cell Morphology Kit makes it easier to identify abnormalities

Identifying red blood cell morphological abnormalities just got easier for hematology lab technologists thanks to a new Red Blood Cell Morphology Kit produced by the Institute for Quality Management in Healthcare (IQMH). The kit, which includes a wall chart, a reference guide and a webcast highlights 40 clinically significant abnormalities.

The kit was produced by the Hematology Committee of IQMH’s partner QMP–LS.

“Red cell morphologic identification is a critical component of hematology laboratory practice and is an important diagnostic aid. This kit provides lab technologists with the tools they need to achieve technical proficiency and consistent reporting practices — which is critical to patient safety,” said Dr. Gregory Flynn, the Chief Executive Officer of IQMH.

OLA Assessor Refresher Workshop: Shifting the Focus

Offered in conjunction with the OSMT Conference

This one-day workshop will enable Ontario Laboratory Accreditation (OLA) assessors to develop a new perspective and approach to the assessment day. You will learn from previous successes and opportunities for improvement identified through laboratory feedback.

Objectives

1. Review the keys to a successful assessment
2. Provide pertinent OLA processes and procedures
3. Show how the following can affect the outcome of an assessment:

• Conversational questions

• Interpretation of requirements

• Wording of non-conformances

• Assessor attitude

Where? Crowne Plaza Niagara Falls – Fallsview
When? September 23, 2011 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Register for OSMT Conference: Connecting with Care

Ontario Society of Medical Technologists

Connecting with Care

September 23–25, 2011

Crowne Plaza Niagara Falls - Fallsview
Niagara Falls, ON

Visit the OSMT website conference page: www.osmt.org

Blood Regulations to be based in part on the CAN/CSA-Z902-10 Blood Standard

Health Canada is pleased to announce that draft Blood Regulations are anticipated to be published in Canada Gazette Part I (CGI) in 2011. These stand-alone Blood Regulations—under the authority of the Food and Drugs Act—will contain safety, quality and efficacy requirements with respect to blood for transfusion or for further manufacture.

The Blood Regulations will apply to all blood establishments, including hospital blood banks and transfusion medicine laboratories, which perform the following regulated activities related to blood:

Need to advertise a job? Consider the QMP–LS Job Ad Posting Service

Posting your job advertisements on the QMP–LS website's Employment Listings section is an efficient and cost-effective way to reach leading medical laboratory professionals and support staff. Placing your advertisement on the QMP–LS website will give your job placement greater exposure among those within your target audience.

Searching for previous QMP–LS newsletters

Do you ever need to find a past QMP–LS newsletter? There's an easy way to search for previous issues in QView™ and the QMP–LS website. For those with QView™ access, an archive of newsletters from 1996 to the present can be found in QView™ within the QMP-LS Newsletters folder (General - QMP-LS\QMP-LS Newsletters\2011).

Even if you don't have QView™ access, you could find an archive of past newsletters in PDF format from 2008 to the current year on the QMP–LS website. This archive is available in the Newsletter Archive (under the Knowledge Centre tab go to Newsletter then click on Archive from the submenu). An archive of electronic versions from April 2011 to the previous month are available under the Archive heading on the web page for the current newsletter.