title: Quality indicators and specifications for strategic and support processes in laboratory medicine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This work is the second part of a study regarding indicators and quality specifications for the non-analytical processes in laboratory medicine. Five primary care and five hospital laboratories agreed on the indicators for two strategic processes (quality planning and project development) and various support processes (client relationships, instrument and infrastructure maintenance, safety and risk prevention, purchases and storage, personnel training).
  
  
  METHODS
  In the majority of cases, the median values recorded over 1 year is considered to be the state-of-the-art in our setting and proposed as the quality specification for the indicators stated. Values have been stratified according to primary care and hospital laboratory for referred tests and group of personnel for training. In some cases, the specifications have been set equal to zero events, such as serious incidents in the infrastructure maintenance process and number of work accidents in the safety and risk prevention process.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In light of this study, an effort is needed to optimize decisions regarding corrective actions and to move from a subjective individual criterion to systematic and comparative management. This preliminary study provides a comprehensive vision of a subject that could motivate further research and advances in the quality of laboratory services.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoris Clínics Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain. cricos@vhebron.net
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ricós
authors.forename: Carme
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Biosca
authors.forename: Mercè
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ibarz
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Minchinela
authors.forename: Maantonia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Llopis
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Perich
authors.forename: Jesus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alsina
authors.forename: Virtudes
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: Vicenta
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Doménech
authors.forename: Rosa Ma
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Pastor
authors.forename: Mireia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sansalvador
authors.forename: Gloria Trujillo
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Isern
authors.forename: Conrad Vilanova
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Navarro
mesh_terms: D002624:Chemistry, Clinical / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories; D008283:Maintenance; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010559:Personnel Management; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D012308:Risk Management