Quality Assurance and Quality Control Flashcards
8 cards from real Phlebotomy Test practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 8 Quality Assurance and Quality Control flashcards as text
Which of the following BEST describes the purpose of a quality assurance (QA) program in a laboratory?
Answer: To monitor and improve all processes affecting the quality and accuracy of patient test results
QA encompasses the entire system of monitoring, evaluating, and improving all laboratory processes—pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical—to ensure accurate, reliable results.
A QC control value plots at +2.3SD on the Levey-Jennings chart. According to Westgard rules, this result is:
Answer: A warning (1₂s violation)—investigate before running patient samples
A value between ±2SD and ±3SD triggers the 1₂s warning rule—not an automatic rejection, but a signal to investigate before proceeding with patient testing.
A laboratory is investigating a systematic positive bias in sodium results compared to proficiency testing. Which of the following is MOST likely to be the cause?
Answer: Calibrator drift or incorrect calibration assignment
Systematic bias (consistently too high) in an electrolyte analyzer most commonly results from calibrator drift, where the reference solution's concentration has shifted, causing all results to be offset.
Proficiency testing (PT) is an EXTERNAL quality assessment tool that primarily evaluates:
Answer: The accuracy of a laboratory's test methods by comparing results with peer laboratories
Proficiency testing sends unknown specimens to a laboratory and compares its results against peer laboratory results and target values to assess method accuracy.
A laboratory QA review finds that the specimen rejection rate for hemolysis has increased from 2% to 8% over the past month. The FIRST step in the quality improvement process is to:
Answer: Investigate the root cause by analyzing rejection data by phlebotomist, time of day, and patient unit
Root cause analysis must precede intervention—the rejection rate data must be stratified to identify where and why the increase is occurring before choosing the appropriate corrective action.
Which of the following represents a POST-ANALYTICAL quality concern in phlebotomy and laboratory practice?
Answer: Failing to notify the provider of a critical value within the required timeframe
Critical value notification failure is a post-analytical error—it occurs after the result is generated, in the communication/reporting phase.
A laboratory implements a new centrifuge protocol and notices gel separator tubes processed under the new protocol have serum with red cell contamination visible above the gel barrier. This is MOST likely due to:
Answer: Centrifugation at insufficient speed or time, preventing complete separation
Inadequate centrifuge speed (g-force) or insufficient time fails to drive cells through the gel barrier, leaving them in the serum layer above the gel.
A laboratory's QA program identifies that STAT order turnaround times frequently exceed the 60-minute target. The MOST effective initial intervention is to:
Answer: Map the current STAT process to identify the specific step causing delay
Process mapping visualizes each step in the STAT workflow, identifying the specific bottleneck causing delays before implementing targeted, effective interventions.