Physician Office Labs

Testing Tools Ensure Accuracy of Lab Results

By News Staff
3/21/2007

Family physicians whose practices include physician office labs, or POLs, may be interested in two new quality improvement tools now available through the AAFP's Office Lab Proficiency Testing program, or AAFP-PT.

These easy-to-use testing products -- manufactured by an outside company and provided by the AAFP-PT as a service to AAFP members -- will give FPs confidence that the laboratory tests conducted in their office labs are providing valid results, said Cheryl Murray, M.P.A., manager of AAFP-PT education and technical assistance.

According to Murray, a variety of factors, including room temperature and humidity, affect the shelf life of testing supplies. Control tests assure physicians that testing agents are performing properly, she said.

"POLs are not required to run control (tests), but it is certainly a step toward quality," said Murray. "At the very least, any time you open a new lot number of testing supplies, you should run a control test."

The new lab tools, manufactured by NERL Diagnostics, are

Sentry Urine Dipstick Controls, a product for testing urinalysis strips that comes as a ready-to-use liquid formulation that can be stored at room temperature for as long as six months, and
Hema-Trol Whole Blood Hemoglobin Controls, a product for testing hemoglobin photometers that has a two-year expiration date and will remain stable for 60 days after opening.

The new tools can be used independently or they may be added to AAFP-PT Proficiency Testing or Quality Assurance programs.

Download an order form (PDF file: 2 pages / 504 KB. More about PDFs) to complete and fax to (913) 906-6079, or call (800) 274-7911, Ext. 4146, to place an order. The new lab tools range in price from $43.80 to $75, plus tax and shipping charges.

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