Quality Assurance Hbk Vet Labs

Quality assurance programs have been imposed on human health laboratories in the United States through regulation, but veterinary laboratories as yet remain unregulated. Heightened awareness of the importance of quality assurance has prompted many veterinary laboratories to adopt quality assurance measures. The Quality Assurance Handbook for Veterinary Laboratories, written by experts with substantial practical experience, is a thorough and useful guide for laboratories that wish to implement new programs and procedures or to improve their current programs. Designed for practicing veterinarians and for professionals in larger commercial or institutional laboratories, this handbook explains how quality assurance can minimize errors and provide confidence in results from in-house tests and tests done by referral laboratories. Beginning with the main components of a quality assurance program, this concise text describes the development of a laboratory quality assurance manual, goal setting, internal and external monitoring procedures, operations, evaluation of new procedures, and considerations for point-of-care testing and office laboratories. Among the many practical suggestions are tips related to administrative and financial issues, staff training, sample identification, and information management. Helpful figures and tables are presented, along with sample forms and a list of resources for training and certification and for external quality assurance programs. The Quality Assurance Handbook for Veterinary Laboratories is a valuable guide for all veterinary laboratories. von Olexson;Bellamy;