Abstract
With less direct involvement from humans, automation has enhanced production, sped up sample processing, and increased report availability in clinical diagnostic laboratories. However, the high volume and high throughput state that has evolved due to automation calls for the verification of the quality of all reports produced, which is crucial for the patients. Therefore, it is essential that all results from tests are relevant, reliable, timely and interpreted correctly. Additionally, clinical diagnostic laboratories and associated quality control programmes do contribute to reducing mortality caused by avoidable medical errors. The performance of clinical laboratories is influenced by two components: quality control and quality assurance. Quality assessment is the planned and systematic set of quality activities focused on ensuring the quality of laboratory results. It is anticipated to be thorough and encompass every facet, from receipt of the specimen until the report is generated, i.e., pre-analytical stage, analytical stage to post-analytical stage. When an accurate control and monitoring plan is in place, an assessment should be made to see if the controls are suitable, and the processes are adequate. In the assessment process, there are organisations at regional, national, and international levels that set norms or standards and offer laboratory accreditation or certification are crucial.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Groover PM. Fundamentals of modern manufacturing: material, processes and systems. 4th ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc; 2010.
Novak SM, Marlowe EM. Automation in the clinical microbiology laboratory. Clin Lab Med. 2013;33(3):567–88.
Mencacci A, De Socio GV, Pirelli E, et al. Laboratory automation, informatics, and artificial intelligence: current and future perspectives in clinical microbiology. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2023;13:1188684.
Burckhardt I. Laboratory automation in clinical microbiology. Bioengineering (Basel). 2018;5(4):102.
Quality assurance in bacteriology and immunology. World Health Organization Regional Office for South-East Asia. SEARO Regional Publica No. 47, 3rd ed. 2012.
Scherz V, Durussel C, Greub G. Internal quality assurance in diagnostic microbiology: a simple approach for insightful data. PLoS One. 2017;12(11):e0187263.
Arora DR, Arora BB. Textbook of microbiology. 4th ed. CBS Publishers & Distributors Pvt. Ltd.; 2012. p. 735–41.
Hammerling JA. A review of medical errors in laboratory diagnostics and where we are today. Lab Med. 2012;43(2):41–4.
WHO Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data Laboratory quality management system: handbook. 2011. Version 1.1.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Sharma, M., Sardar, M., Devi, L.S. (2024). Quality and Controls in Automation Techniques. In: Kumar, S., Kumar, A. (eds) Automated Diagnostic Techniques in Medical Microbiology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-9943-9_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-9943-9_11
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-99-9942-2
Online ISBN: 978-981-99-9943-9
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)