The Westgard Rules

What's New: December 2016

Posted by Sten Westgard, MS

Here's what's new on Westgard Web:

Validating Qualitative Assays

While the protocols for method validation of quantitative assays are well-established, the studies required for qualitative assays are less well understood.  Dr. Paulo Pereira, our new contributing editor, provides a needed overview of the validation requirements for qualitative tests. 

Are we positive (or negative) that we know how to validate a qualitative method?

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In case you missed it... Westgard and Westgard on YouTube


For those who weren't able to attend the Westgard and Westgard workshop at the AACC/ASCLS convention in Philadelphia, the video is now on YouTube.  Here's your chance to see how many jokes my father can make at my expense.

Is it ever possible that your father will stop embarrassing you in public? So far I can only answer "NO"

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A Sigma-metric analysis of an AU 5800.


Earlier this year, a Belgian laboratory performed a series of validation studies for the analytical performance verification of a Beckman Coulter AU 5800. The additional twist is that it compared two distinctly different instruments from the same vendor, an AU 5800 and a DxC Unicel.

Does buying all your instruments from the same manufacturer always guarantee the comparability of results?

 

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Prodia Labs achieve Sigma Verification

The first laboratories in Indonesia - three of them, in fact - achieved Sigma Verification of their chemistry performance in November.



Prodia Laboratories Sigma Verification of Performance
 

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Zhongshan Hospital achieves Sigma Verification

In November, the first hospital in Shanghai, Zhongshan Hospital, was able to receive the Verification of their Sigma performance, guided by the assistance of our local partner, QuaLab.



Zhongshan Hospital Sigma Verification of Performance
 

Thank you, Jiao Tong University

Posted by Sten Westgard, MS

In November, while I was visiting Shanghai, I had the pleasure of talking to the 3rd year students of medical biochemistry at Jiao Tong University. These were students who had not yet started their first placement in a laboratory. So they were innocent and pure, untainted by the poor practices that are often taught to new employees by the previous generation of technologists. It's rare that I get this chance to help students learn the right practices from the very start, rather than try to get them to un-learn a set of bad habits.

I'm sure it was a bit of a strange experience for the students, having a strange American with a last name they've read about in their textbooks, telling them an entirely different story about what happens in the laboratory. But I appreciated their willingness to hear me talk about the practical challenges that lie ahead of them.

Special thanks to Director Ni, who not only helped arranged the guest lecture, but also gave me an Honorary Visiting Professor award.

I hope I gave the students some useful advice about their future careers. Thank you again, Jiao Tong University.

Thank you, Haerbin!

Posted by Sten Westgard, MS

In November, I had the privilege of attending the Conference for Promotion of Mutual Recognition of Test Results across Medical Institutions of the Same Class" in Haerbin, Heilongjiang province. Or, as expressed in Mandarin,

"黑龙江省同级医疗机构检验结果互认工作推进会"

The major goal of this province-wide conference was to focus on ensuring comparability of results across hospitals in the healthcare system.  This of course is a major challenge worldwide, but the provincial authorities have additional leverage since they can craft the tenders and purchasing to enforce this goal. But how do you measure whether hospitals have comparable results?

One way is to use Sigma-metrics, of course?

Thanks to the hundreds who attended my lecture, and to the leaders of the key hospitals who allowed me to advise them on practical steps they can take to measure quality and assure that the patients who travel through Heilongjiang province get the same consistent level of quality of care.

A new Sigma-metric software program!

Posted by Sten Westgard, MS

[Full disclosure: several years ago, Westgard QC consulted with Thermo Fisher MAS to recommend features on their next revision of their QC software. We also continue to provide training and education services to their customers.]

As much as people enjoy using our free downloadable spreadsheets to calculate Sigma-metrics and generate Sigma Method Decision Charts, there is a better way.

Rather than enter everything by hand, you could have a software program automatically gather the data and do the calculation work for you.

Witness the latest version of LabLink xL[tm] from Thermo Fisher. Sigma-metric graphs are now a standard feature:

Now, in the same program that you handle your QC and your peer group comparison, you can view your Sigma-metrics. It's taken a long time to get these tools into software, we're delighted that vendors (other than us) are adding these features to their offerings.

[P.S. to other software vendors, the Sigma-metric is not patented, trademarked, or copyrighted. It is free to add to your feature list.]

Again, to see more about the Sigma-metric offerings from LabLink xL, visit their website.