Closing the Gap in Pre-analytical Specimen Quality

Cardinal Health Lab Briefings webinar series

This webinar is presented by Margaret Blaetz, CLC(AMT), CCCP(AAPOL), Technical Consultant/Technical Specialist, CEO at East Coast Clinical Consultants.

Title: Closing the Gap in Pre-analytical Specimen Quality

Overview

Assessment of laboratory quality is broken down into 4 phases; general, pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical. While the laboratory has control over the general (safety, policies, proficiency testing) and analytical portions, pre-analytical and post-analytical quality are often outside of their hands. Post-analytical quality refers to the processes that occur after the lab testing is completed including patient reports, communication and complaints. Pre-analytical specimen integrity is just as critical to the result reported by the laboratory. The laboratory must have processes in place to educate the customer on specimen collection, specimen storage and specimen transport.  The laboratory must also have processes in place to identify when to reject specimens based on improper collection, storage and/or transport, and to communicate back to the customer in a manner which will provide education for improved specimen quality.

Objectives

Upon completion of this continuing education activity, the participant should be able to:

1. Explain the importance of proper collection, transport, and storage of specimens.
2. Identify collection, transport and storage concerns in their own laboratory.
3. Outline improvements needed to improve pre-analytical quality in their own laboratory.
4. Assess and evaluate the impact of these improvements.

Intended audience

This continuing education credit is intended for use by clinical laboratory professionals who are interested in learning the importance of proper collection, transport and storage of specimens.

Take the course and obtain CE credits

Attend this basic level webinars at no cost.  Cardinal Health is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program.  This webinar is managed by Whitehat Communications and offer one P.A.C.E.® Continuing Education contact hour for up to six months after the live event.

One P.A.C.E.® credit is available upon completion of the course: Closing the Gap in Pre-analytical Specimen Quality

P.A.C.E.® credits are widely recognized in the clinical laboratory profession and can be used to fulfill most continuing education requirements.