Abstract
An ongoing quality management program designed to monitor and evaluate the overall quality of the laboratory testing process helps detect, reduce, and correct deficiencies. Quality control (QC) procedures help ensure that the preparation, interpretation, and reporting of cytology specimens meets specified quality criteria. Quality assurance (QA) is a retrospective tool that measures the success of specific processes. In the USA, the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA ‘88) are federally mandated standards that serve as the foundation of cytology QC/QA. To obtain a CLIA certificate a laboratory must be accredited (and inspected) by The Joint Commission (TJC), formerly called the Joint Commission of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), or the College of American Pathologists (CAP). To perform QA activities laboratories need access to electronic data, typically obtained from the laboratory information system (LIS), and computer tools to analyze these data.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Austin RM, Zhao C. Observations on Pap test litigation. Pathol Case Rev. 2011;16:73–82.
Booth CN, Bashleben C, Filomena CA, et al. Monitoring and ordering practices for human papillomavirus in cervical cytology findings from the College of American Pathologists gynecologic cytopathology quality consensus conference working group 5. Arch Path Lab Med. 2013;137:214–9.
Cibas ES, Zou KH, Crum CP, et al. Using the rate of positive high-risk HPV test results for ASCUS together with the ASCUS/SIL ratio in evaluating the performance of cytopathologists. Am J Clin Pathol. 2008;129:97–101.
Clary KM, Davey DD, Naryshkin S, Austin RM, Chmara BA, Tworek J. The role of monitoring interpretive rates, concordance between cytotechnologist and pathologist interpretations prior to sign-out, and turn-around-time in gynecologic quality assurance: findings from the College of American Pathologists gynecologic cytopathology quality consensus conference. Working group 1. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2013;137:164–74.
Elsheikh TM, Kirkpatrick JL, Cooper MK, Johnson ML, Hawkins AP, Rernshaw AA. Increasing cytotechnologist workload above 100 slides per day using the ThinPrep Imaging System leads to significant reductions in screening accuracy. Cancer Cytopathol. 2010;118:75–82.
Elsheikh TM, Austin RM, Chhieng DF, Miller FS, Moriarty AT, Renshaw AA, American Society of Cytopathology. American Society of Cytopathology workload recommendations for automated Pap test screening: developed by the productivity and quality assurance in the era of automated screening task force. Diagn Cytopathol. 2013;41:174–8.
Eversole GM, Moriarty AT, Schwartz MR, et al. Practices of participants in the College of American Pathologists interlaboratory comparison program in cervicovaginal cytology. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2010;134:331–5.
Levi AW, Galullo P, Gordy K, Mikolaiski, et al. Increasing cytotechnologist workload above 100 slides per day using BD FocalPoint GS Imaging System negatively affects screening performance. Am J Clin Pathol. 2012;138:811–5.
Meijer CM, Berkhof JB, Castle PE, et al. Guidelines for human papillomavirus DNA test requirements for primary cervical cancer screening in women 30 years and older. Int J Cancer. 2009;124:516–20.
Renshaw A, Deschene M, Auger M. ASC/SIL ratio for cytotechnologists. A surrogate marker of screening sensitivity. Am J Clin Pathol. 2009;131:776–8.
Tavares SB, de Sousa NL, Manrique EJ, et al. Rapid pre-screening of cervical smears as a method of internal quality control in a cervical screening programme. Cytopathology. 2008;19:254–9.
Tworek JA, Jones BA, Raab S, Clary KM, Walsh M. The value of monitoring human papillomavirus DNA results for Papanicolaou tests diagnosed as atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance. A College of American Pathologists Q-Probes study of 68 institutions. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2007;131:1525–31.
Zhao C, Florea A, Onisko A, Austin RM. Histologic follow-up results in 662 patients with Pap test findings of atypical glandular cells: results from a large academic women’s hospital laboratory employing sensitive screening methods. Gynecol Oncol. 2009;114:383–9.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Pantanowitz, L., Wiehagen, L.T., Austin, R.M. (2014). Quality Management. In: Pantanowitz, L., Parwani, A. (eds) Practical Informatics for Cytopathology. Essentials in Cytopathology, vol 14. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9581-9_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9581-9_9
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-9580-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-9581-9
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)