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Each April, The Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) recognizes the critical role of medical laboratory professionals in the health care system.
The Resources page of the IQMH website is home to a variety of discipline-specific Proficiency Testing scientific posters and publications.
IQMH is seeking volunteers to sit on its Proficiency Testing Scientific Committees, effective May 2023. Membership on committees consists of a three-year term of office, renewable once. Committees meet an average of four times a year for half-day or full-day meetings.
We are seeking the following member(s) at this time:
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most commonly inherited single gene disorder among millions of people worldwide. This hereditary red cell disorder affects individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, i.e., Mediterranean, African, Caribbean, Middle East, South America, and South Asian. In Ontario, over 3500 people are affected by SCD with a total of more than 6,000 Canadians; predominantly in individuals who identify as Black.
Almost half of Canadians are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Between 2015 and 2030, the number of new cancer cases diagnosed is expected to increase by about 40%.
By Editor on 5/30/2018 By Julie Shaw, Danijela Konforte, Gayle Waite, Michael Knauer and Paul Yip
Introduction Assays, especially those in clinical chemistry, are designed to measure analytes (i.e., the measurand) in the appropriate patient specimens. However, there is the potential for inaccurate analyte measurements when testing materials are different from patient specimens. Examples include quality control (QC) material, proficiency testing (PT) material, and other types of patient specimens such as body fluids.
IQMH brings together experts in the field of laboratory medicine to elevate confidence in the healthcare system.
The IQMH Proficiency Testing Scientific Committees are composed of physicians, technologists and scientists who provide advice to IQMH regarding the fundamental design of Proficiency Testing surveys and ensure that clinically-relevant selection of challenges and appropriate performance evaluation are developed and implemented each year. IQMH is grateful for the commitment and support of the medical laboratory community and appreciates all the volunteers who donate their time and valuable expertise to our programs.
IQMH Proficiency Testing (PT) programs have been accredited since 2010 by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) to ISO 17043 Conformity assessment — General requirements for proficiency testing.
The assessment was held remotely from April 12th–14th with two A2LA assessors (audit team). The programs were thoroughly examined and assessed against 25 categories of technical and management requirements including design of schemes, evaluation of results, document control, confidentiality, and customer service.
An IQMH Proficiency Testing poster titled Comparison of anti-D titre results by conventional tube technique using non-identical versus identical indicator cells through a retrospective review of IQMH surveys was presented at the CSTM Conference 2022 by Chang-Keun (CK) Lee, IQMH Proficiency Testing Consultant Technologist, with the support of the Transfusion Medicine Scientific Committee.
A 2017 report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information and Choosing Wisely Canada showed that in many clinical areas, up to 30% of tests and treatments are potentially unnecessary. While clinicians ultimately make decisions about which tests and treatments to order based on the assessment of the patient symptoms, many of these decisions can often be influenced by hospital systems and processes that, if outdated, can nudge clinicians toward ordering tests and treatments that do not reflect evidence-based guidelines and practices. This can expose patients to avoidable harm, lengthen wait times, and consume precious hospital resources.
Many of you have been engaged in some part of the laboratory accreditation cycle, whether it be preparing for an upcoming assessment, providing documents, records, objective evidence, investigating, or implementing opportunities for improvement. IQMH is no exception.
The IQMH Proficiency Testing Scientific Committees are composed of physicians, technologists and scientists who provide advice to IQMH regarding the fundamental design of Proficiency Testing surveys and ensure that clinically-relevant selection of challenges and appropriate performance evaluation are developed and implemented each year.
IQMH is grateful for the commitment and support of the medical laboratory community and appreciates all the volunteers who donate their time and valuable expertise to our programs.
It’s our privilege to recognize Dr. Kathy Chun, PhD, FCCMG, FACMG, who has served IQMH as a volunteer since 2004.
In 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic continued to cause global, social, and economic disruption, reaching unprecedented peaks in daily case numbers, hospital admissions, and ICU bed occupancy by the end of the summer. This was due not only to COVID-19 wild-type, but also new variants of concern. These peaks were followed by a sharp decline after vulnerable populations, healthcare workers, and the general public began receiving much-anticipated vaccines.
IQMH relies on health care experts such as physicians, scientists and medical laboratory technologists to provide technical and clinical advice as members of the Proficiency Testing (PT) Scientific Committees. They support PT Consultant Technologists in the fundamental design of proficiency testing surveys, ensure challenges are clinically-relevant and appropriate performance evaluation is developed and implemented each year.
A requirement of The College ofMedical Laboratory Technologists of Ontario (CMLTO) Quality Assurance Program states that practicing medical laboratory technologists (MLTs) must complete 30 hours of professional development in three different activity types. Continuing education or professional development hours allow members to maintain and enhance their knowledge in the ever-changing environment of medical laboratory science, an important component for improving their professional practice as self-regulated healthcare professionals.
Institute for Quality Management in Healthcare
1500–393 University Avenue Toronto, Ontario M5G 1E6 Canada
Phone: 416-323-9540 Toll-free: 1-877-323-9540 Fax: 416-323-9324
Email: info@iqmh.org
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