title: Indicators and quality specifications for strategic and support processes related to the clinical laboratory: four years' experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Quality specifications for indicators of the key analytic processes have been defined by international consensus. However, only preliminary specifications for laboratory-related strategic and support processes have been developed. The present study attempts to increase the robustness of the preliminary proposed specifications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Recovering records and incidences occurred over a 4-year follow-up period, for 12 indicators, used in all laboratories from this group regarding strategic and support processes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results obtained indicate that it is better to establish an interval rather than a fixed value for the majority of indicators. Longer studies are needed to properly assess some quality specifications, and data recording system must be standardized in others. Additional, multicenter studies are needed to establish more robust specifications and determine the state of the art of laboratories in other settings.
authors.affiliation: Laboratori Clínic L'Hospitalet, ICS-Metropolitana Sud, Barcelona, Spain. rruizm@ambitcp.catsalut.net
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.forename: Ma Antònia
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Llopis
authors.forename: Carme
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Biosca
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Trujillo
authors.forename: Ma Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Llovet
authors.forename: Ester
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tarrés
authors.forename: Mercè
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ibarz
authors.forename: Ma Jesus
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Alsina
authors.forename: Virtudes
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: Glòria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Busquets
authors.forename: Ma Vicenta
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Doménech
authors.forename: Carme
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Figueres
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Minchinela
authors.forename: Rosa Ma
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Pastor
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Perich
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ricós
authors.forename: Mireia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sansalvador
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simón
mesh_terms: D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care