Laboratory Medicine

Phillip Sher, Paul

doi: 10.1093/labmed/30.11.700pmid: N/A

doi: 10.1093/labmed/30.11.701pmid: N/A

doi: 10.1093/labmed/30.11.703pmid: N/A

Schulze, Matthew

doi: 10.1093/labmed/30.11.706pmid: N/A

Luebbert, Peggy Prinz

doi: 10.1093/labmed/30.11.710pmid: N/A

Phelan, Susan E.; Daniels, Margaret G.; Hewitt, Liane

doi: 10.1093/labmed/30.11.714pmid: N/A

Although health care facilities must invest staff time, cope with supervisory stress, provide materials, allocate space, and pay student stipends, they receive many benefits by participating in clinical education programs for students of the allied health professions. The primary benefit is the opportunity to recruit graduates. This allows for increased revenue from student contributions that offsets the expense of staff time spent on teaching. Another benefit is the maintenance and upgrading of staff skills. Methods to calculate these costs and benefits are available but not standardized.

Yox, Susan B.

doi: 10.1093/labmed/30.11.722pmid: N/A

Plaut, David S.

doi: 10.1093/labmed/30.11.728pmid: N/A

This update and review of the applications of immunoassays in the clinical laboratory discusses cardiac markers, thyroid testing, nutritional assessment, tumor markers, and hone markers, as well as analytical issues such as calibration.

Nevalainen, David E.

doi: 10.1093/labmed/30.11.732pmid: N/A

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 9000 is an internationally recognized quality system standard for manufacturing and service industries. Nonmanufacturing (service) companies hold 10% of all North American ISO 9000 certificates. Implementation ofprocessfocussed quality systems is the next challenge for the US health care sector. Such systems will he used as a comprehensive tool for process development and improvement in health care. Organizations will use these systems, if properly focussed, to meet regulatory and accreditation requirements. Applications of ISO 9000 in the health care sector are discussed, with specific comments relative to clinical laboratories and the accreditation process. Quality systems approaches will enable development of more robust and cost-effective health care delivery coupled with quality improvements.This is the second article in a three-part continuing education series on regulations and accreditation. On completion of this article, the reader will be able to list the elements of the ISO 9000 quality system standard; identify the difference in elements of the ISO 9001 and ISO 9002 quality systems; and describe the potential applications of ISO 9000 quality systems in health care.

Ashwood, Edward R.; Kaimins, Linda

doi: 10.1093/labmed/30.11.737pmid: N/A

By actively reporting laboratory test results linked to public health–related diseases and conditions, laboratories assist governmental health departments in disease surveillance. We have developed a successful system for reporting such cases. Our purpose is to assist laboratories in similar efforts by describing the benefits of our approach.