What's New on Westgard Web: January 2019

Posted by Sten Westgard, MS

New Year, New Goals... New Errors?

It's 2019, can we focus on the positive? Or do we need to maintain our efforts to eliminate the negatives?

As we congratulate ourselves on the latest advances in our field, we often neglect the core competencies that got us there in the first place. Even the most sophisticated new technology still needs to be monitored by appropriate quality control.

The skills of quality control have atrophied in many labs, if they were present at all. Even the best methods won't work correctly if we don't know our rules. Given today's financial pressures, it's a terrible waste if it turns out we may be "over-QC'ing" methods that actually don't need so many rules.

Is everything getting better? Is everything getting worse? Both at the same time?

As part of the New Year, we're putting out a "new" set of Quality Goals.
Or rather, a Consolidated Comparison of Analytical Performance Specifications for Biochemistry
Rather than wait for an official organization to pronounce the acceptability of one set or another set of goals, we're going to forge ahead and help YOU decide which goals are right for your laboratory.

Quality in an Era of Untruth
In a time where "truth isn't truth" and "alternative facts" are commonly deployed, we fear that quality also suffers and may be further compromised in the future.

Quality, and Truth, are more important than ever.

The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth - can we achieve that in laboratory medicine at least - even if it's no longer possible in politics?

Sigma Verification of Helix Laboratories

In December, the largest laboratory in St. Petersburg joined the Sigma Verification of Performance program.

Sigma performance of Helix Laboratories

Sigma Verification of Stamford Hospital

Stamford Hospital Laboratory becomes the first lab in Connecticut and the Northeast US to achieve Sigma Verification of performance.

Sigma Verification of Stamford Hospital Laboratory