Question

what are laboratory indicators and examples

Answer 1

Indicators are Chemicals which are used to test whether a given substance in an acid or base. Eg:- phenolphthalein, etc.

Answer 2

A quality indicator is defined as an objective measure evaluating critical health care domains as defined by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) (patient safety, effectiveness, equity, patient centeredness, timeliness, and efficiency). It is based on evidence associated with those domains and can be implemented in a consistent and comparable manner across settings and over time. In other words, a quality indicator is a tool enabling us to quantify the laboratory’s performance by selecting a certain comparative criterion. Any potential quality indicator needs to fulfill primarily 2 inclusion criteria: it must be an indicator of laboratory functioning and it must cater to at least 1 IOM health care domain.

Example:

The laboratory staff recruited for sample receipt makes an entry including the time the sample is received by the lab. This is strictly on a first come, first serve basis. The samples are numbered at the reception counter accordingly.

After screening the samples for any preanalytical errors, the analytical process begins. This is preceded by routine maintenance and a quality control (QC) evaluation. The sample run is initiated after satisfactory QC results. The QC is run after a batch of 50 samples to identify any intra-assay fluctuations. The same protocol is followed for the OPD samples too. Any deviation from the accepted range of target values for QC, instrument alarms due to fibrin clots, or insufficient sample volume and hampered estimation are documented in a predefined log book by the technicians employed at the workstation