Zoe's Blog
Change vs. Failure
Change vs. Failure: Are you wasting time and delaying patient results when QC shifts for the BETTER? Do you still assume that all QC flags indicate clinical failure? In fact, change can be for the better or the worse; acceptable or unacceptable. I had the privilege...
News Release – Risk Management MasterClass
We are delighted to announce that June 9, 10, 11th, 2026 10 AM to Noon EDT (GMT-4) has been set for free AWEsome Numbers' Risk Management MasterClass What’s the difference between a MasterClass and a Webinar? Think of it like the difference between watching a movie...
Risk Metrics provide a clearer picture than Sigma Metrics: Math Lesson # 1
Let’s start this series of math lessons with an AI history lesson on sigma in medical labs. The introduction of Sigma metrics to the medical laboratory was a pivotal shift from simply "checking for errors" to "designing for quality." It brought the industrial rigor...
Risk Management Lesson #6
Risk Management Lesson #6 The scientific comparison of EFLM Vision and RiskGATOR software Finally! The value of the laboratory can be recognized and quantified! Imagine if you could quantify, and reduce, the number of Medically Incorrect Results (MIRs) reported each...
Risk Management Lesson #5
Risk Management asks and answers FIVE critical questions. How would error in this test harm patient? What would it cost the patient and healthcare system for unnecessary repeat lab tests and perhaps more expensive, invasive and harmful for erroneously ‘high’ results –...
Risk Management Lesson #4
Risk Management is a science that transcends traditional quality control in medical laboratories. In this risk simulator that models the information in RiskGATOR™ software, the yellow boxes represent the questions answered by Risk Management; statistical QC...
Risk Management Lesson #3
Risk management is a paradigm shift from statistical quality control. Statistical quality control, Levey-Jennings charts and Westgard Rules are designed to detect CHANGES in analytical accuracy or precision. It’s up to lab staff, with little education or practice,...
Risk Management Lesson #2
Imagine a world where airline pilots learned to fly on live passenger flights! Unthinkable, right? Yet, in medical laboratories, we expect technologists to manage patient risk without the benefit of a "flight simulator" to practice and prepare for when things go...
Risk Management Lesson #1
Does a 4.5 Sigma score mean your lab is safe? Not necessarily. It’s a question every lab professional should be asking. For years, we've aimed for high sigma values, believing they were the ultimate benchmark for quality. But what if that's only half the story? The...