QMP–LS is recruiting: Consultant Technologist, EQA – Chemistry/Hematology

The Quality Management Program—Laboratory Services is a department of the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) that provides External Quality Assessment (EQA) and Accreditation (OLA) to Ontario’s licensed laboratories as the agent of the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care. Operating under an agreement between the parties, QMP–LS promotes quality management through proficiency testing (EQA), accreditation (OLA) and education. The program has an international reputation and is actively exploring opportunities to provide services outside of Ontario in Canada and abroad.

QMP–LS Announces its 2013–14 External Quality Assessment Program

The External Quality Assessment (EQA) division of QMP–LS has planned 107 challenge surveys and 5 dry/web-based challenges associated with red cell disorders, coagulation, bone marrow examination, morphology and transfusion medicine for Ontario participants for the year April 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014. There are 2 patterns-of-practice surveys associated with the following:

Quantitative Survey Reports – New Reports for a New Year

As of January 2013, survey reports for all quantitative surveys will have a new look and provide practical supplementary information. Currently, there are three survey reports for each quantitative survey: the Comprehensive Survey Report, the Concise Survey Report and the Cumulative Performance Report. The Comprehensive Survey Report provides the laboratory a comparison of their results to the acceptable values, statistical information on all methods accessed and a histogram for a pictorial representation. The Concise Survey Report provides a short summary of the laboratory’s results compared to their peer group. Some laboratories print this concise version for management review. The Cumulative Performance Report summarizes survey results from previous surveys and highlights discordant results to indicate action is required.

Root-cause Workshop “Excellent opportunity for hands-on experience with DFIs”

More than 120 participants attended the Root-cause analysis: ask the right questions to get the right answers workshop held November 7^th at the Hilton Fallsview Hotel in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The Quality Management Program–Laboratory Services (QMP–LS) and the Institute for Quality Management in Healthcare (IQMH) organized the afternoon workshop that was facilitated by the QMP–LS Chemistry Committee. The workshop was held in conjunction with the Ontario Society of Clinical Chemists 2012 Annual Scientific and General Meeting held on November 8^th, 2012.

Register today for OSCC 2012 Annual Scientific Meeting & IQMH/QMP-LS Root-cause Analysis Workshop

Two days, three events. Learn, share and network with colleagues in the field of clinical chemistry and quality management. Registration is open.

QMP-LS publishes Practitioner's Reports in Accreditation and Quality Assurance journal

QMP-LS is proud to announce the publication two Practitioner's Reports in Accreditation and Quality Assurance: Quality, Comparability and Reliability in Chemical Measurement.

QMP-LS presents two posters at American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) Annual Meeting 2012

Berna Aslan, Program Consultant (EQA) represented QMP–LS at the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) Annual Meeting July 15-19, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. The meeting featured educational events and the world’s largest Clinical Lab Expo, and presented  the opportunity for networking with clinical laboratory professionals. . This year, the meeting’s theme was “Genomics” and experts delivered lectures on various aspects of this theme.  In addition, a wide range of topics in clinical laboratory medicine was covered in more than 200 sessions, including LEAN management system, strategies for avoiding errors in laboratory medicine, quality control, point-of-care testing, standardization of steroid hormone testing and many more. Berna Aslan presented the posters “Clinical chemistry sample interferences reporting patterns in Ontario Laboratories” and “Evaluation of non-conformances identified in point-of-care testing section of the OLA program”, on behalf of the authors who contributed and collaborated to the research and publication.

Recent Advances in Clinical Chemistry - Save the Date: November 7–8, 2012

Mark your calendar for a weekend of learning and networking opportunities with the Ontario Society of Clinical Chemists(OSCC) and the QMP-LS Chemistry Scientific Committee in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Wednesday, November 7, attend the half-day interactive Root-cause Analysis Workshop. Share tips and tricks on how to conduct a good root-case analysis, with examples of poor root-cause analysis practices in the interactive sessions organized by the QMP–LS Scientific Committee and the Institute for Quality Management in Healthcare (IQMH). Saturday evening, attend the OSCC dinner and network with your peers. Thursday, November 8th, attend the the OSCC Annual General Meeting:Recent Advances in Clinical Chemistry and listen to informative presentations by guest speakers and experts in the field of clinical chemistry.

Elimination of hard-copy Survey Instructions - Pilot

Until now, the EQA survey testing material shipment has included a labeled envelope with a hard-copy of the survey instructions specific to the EQA survey. In addition to this, in 2009 QMP–LS initiated the posting of survey instructions on QView™ in the General – EQA/EQA Survey Information folder for participant online review. The hardcopy instructions include a QView™ filepath which directs participants to the appropriate folder.

Save the Date: Workshop on Recent Advances in Clinical Chemistry

The 43rd OSCC Annual Scientific & General Meeting will have lectures covering recent advances in clinical chemistry and is being held in beautiful Niagara Falls at the Hilton Fallsview Hotel. The evening preceding the full day meeting will feature a tour of a local winery and include wine tasting, dinner and networking opportunities. This will also be a great time to brush up on your skills as an oenophile!

IQMH Poster wins NACB Distinguished Abstract Award

Congratulations to QMP–LS Research Fellow, Berna Aslan for winning the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry’s Distinguished Abstract Awards for her abstract entitled “Use of Biological Variation for Establishing and Harmonizing Performance Limits for Clinical Chemistry PT Schemes.”

In Memoriam: Jackie Barten

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Jackie Barten on Sunday, January 29, 2012. Jackie has been involved with QMP-LS for more than fifteen years. 

QMP–LS Announces its 2012–13 External Quality Assessment Program

The External Quality Assessment (EQA) division of QMP–LS has planned 111 challenge surveys and 7 dry/web-based challenges associated with red cell disorders, coagulation, bone marrow examination, morphology and transfusion medicine for Ontario participants for the year April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013. There are 4 patterns-of-practice surveys associated with the following:

• Quality indicators in microbiology
• Validation of abnormal spurious hematology results, new parameters, uncertainty of measurement, etc.
• Use of new techniques in genetics laboratories
• Trends in cytology

EQA Parameters Monitored in 2012/13

The External Quality Assessment program will monitor the following parameters in 2012/13.

New Chemistry Guideline Available

Summary Guideline – Diabetes: Chronic Disease Prevention and Management – Laboratory Aspects

At the request of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC), QMP–LS struck an Expert Panel to provide advice and guidance on the review and revision of the existing MOHLTC evidence-based laboratory testing guidelines for diabetes. This document is entitled “Chronic Disease Prevention and Management Guidelines, Diabetes Expert Panel, July 2010” and can be downloaded from the IQMH website. The guideline provides both clinical and laboratory recommendations for the appropriate use of measures of glycemic control, renal function and lipid status in the monitoring (not including diagnosis or prevention) of adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

A New Distribution Centre for QMP-LS EQA Survey Material

QMP–LS is pleased to announce that we are subcontracting with Gamma Dynacare Medical Laboratories (GDML) for the packaging and distribution of EQA survey material for chemistry, hematology and transfusion medicine.