The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) will host the Webinar “Delta Checks in Action: An Essential Quality Improvement Tool,” which takes place on Wednesday, March 21, 2012 at 2 pm EST. The Webinar will last 60 minutes.
Delta checks have a pivotal role to play in the quality improvement process by comparing current laboratory results to previous results. If there is a discrepancy between the results it could be due to sample error, analytical error, or a change in the patient’s condition. Whatever the case, the delta check is an essential tool in identifying the issue, prompting further action, and ensuring quality results. Many pre-analytical issues cannot be detected by traditional quality control methods, which could lead to the reporting of erroneous results and without the delta check a significant change in a patient’s result would not be flagged.
The expert speaker for the Webinar is Joely Straseski, PhD, MS, MT (ASCP), Assistant Professor of Pathology at the University of Utah School of Medicine, and Co-Medical Director at the Automated Core Laboratory in Salt Lake City, Utah. During the Webinar, Straseski will discuss methods to customize delta check limits for the laboratory; how to identify sources of pre-analytical, analytical, and biological variation; and how they may affect laboratory results, methods to investigate discrepant laboratory results, and the clinical implications of reporting discrepant results. She will also discuss how laboratories are not only using delta checks to identify discrepant results, but also to assist in diagnosis.
Source: AACC
