title: Quality management and the clinical microbiology laboratory.
abstract: Quality management in today's health care environment requires a fresh approach. Laboratories that have traditionally directed their efforts toward meeting the needs of physicians must now also satisfy the needs of society, the greater public health, and the agency's administrators. Technical advances must today be considered in the context of patient care cost-effectiveness or final outcomes. Examples of strategies for improving quality in the laboratory, such as seeking input from all individuals involved in interpreting or using laboratory test results, forming multidisciplinary committees for development of critical pathways, issuing surveys for assessing the level of satisfaction of the laboratory's customers, and providing visual feedback of the results of activities, are described.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Baron
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000191:economics; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D019091:Critical Pathways; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D018166:Health Care Reform; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D008829:Microbiology / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000191:economics