title: The laboratory and patient safety.
abstract: Laboratory data are used extensively in patient care; consequently, laboratory errors have a tremendous impact on patient safety. Clinical laboratories were early leaders in efforts to minimize medical errors and improve patient safety. These efforts continue in many areas, including patient and specimen identification, laboratory result notification, and assistance in laboratory data interpretation. Emerging ideas on identifying and reducing laboratory errors, as well as specific strategies are reviewed and discussed with examples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Road, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. ewagar@mednet.ucla.edu
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Wagar
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yuan
mesh_terms: D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010338:Pathology, Clinical; D005791:Patient Care; D010361:Patients; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D017751:Safety Management