Lab Week 2019: Thanks for the Tests

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NEW! Risk Analysis Guidelines Analysis

Get an overview of ISO standards 15189, 14971, and 22367 and CLSI guidelines EP18, EP22, and EP23. With Risk Management coming into medical laboratories, now is the time to learn these important Risk Analysis concepts recommended by these documents.
Introduction to Risk Analysis

New standards and guidelines for Quality are heading toward the lab, based on Risk Management principles. Learn all about them now.
Quality Management and Design of Analytical Systems (An Introduction)

Quality Planning and Design are part of a larger systems approach to analytical management. in this new six lesson course, participants will review current guidelines for quality and learn to use QC Design tools to customize their procedures and achieve the quality required by their tests.

Basic QC Practices
Our most popular course, covering the fundamentals of quality control in the laboratory.

Basic Method Validation
This course teaches all the experiments and calculations needed for a basic validation of a new instrument. Linearity, Reportable Range, Comparison of Methods, Correlation, Replication, Interference, Recovery, Detection Limit and Reference Range studies are explained and demonstrated. Educational online tools allow participants to enter data and view results immediately.

Secrets of Method Validation Streaming Video course
A short animated slide show, narrated by Dr. Westgard, explaining the Inner, Hidden, Deeper, Secret Meaning of Method Validation

"Westgard Rules" and Levey-Jennings short course
Everything you ever wanted to know - and were afraid to ask - is included in this online course. All the rules, combinations, and interpretations are included. Online graphing tools allow you to enter data and see the interpretation.

Westgard QC, Inc. was the first company to offer accredited online courses through both the AACC and ASCLS. More than a thousand participants from over 30 countries have taken our online courses.

April 29, 2019

Lab Week 2019: Thanks for the Tests

Posted by Sten Westgard, MS

As I look back on Medical Laboratory Professionals Week of 2019, I reflect on all the medical care I received in the past year. When I look back on all the visits, procedures, and diagnoses that were given to me, I find that 100% of those decisions were guided by laboratory test results (more than the oft-quoted 70% of medical decisions being made based on test results). So thank you, to the nameless, faceless medical professionals who handled my results. I never met you. I never interacted directly with you. But every aspect of my health in the last year was dependent upon your commitment to quality. THANK YOU for treating my specimen like it was the most important patient in the world - and for treating each and every patient the same way. And not only thanks to the technologists who handled my tests, but to ALL the technologists out there who dedicate their profession to generating the right results for all patients. A week of recognition and celebration isn't long enough to reward you for what you do, but nevertheless I hope you feel more valued because of these past few days.