Risk Management Lesson #2

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...
Risk Management Lesson #1

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...
Beyond the 1970s: Does QC Really Keep Up?

Beyond the 1970s: Does QC Really Keep Up?

This interesting discussion was sparked by a post arguing that the statistical QC of the 1970s just can’t handle the complexities of today’s modern lab, suggesting it’s time for a major paradigm shift! (also on Linkedin) A great question came up...
Lab instruments today look nothing like 1975.

Lab instruments today look nothing like 1975.

Lab instruments today look nothing like 1975. So why is our Quality Control frighteningly similar? I should know. In 1975, as a Chief Technologist, my tools were a slide rule and hand-drawn QC charts. Ensuring result quality was my world, and the responsibility was...