Topic outline

  • General

  • Pre-analytical mysteries

    Speaker: Pieter Vermeersch (BE)
    Moderator: Janne Cadamuro (AT)

    Date: 27th November 2018 at 18:00 CET

    Abstract

    The pre-analytical phase is the major source of errors in the total  testing process. The fact that many of the processes take place outside of the direct control of the laboratory and the involvement of different parties such as patients, clinicians, phlebotomists and logistics personnel make keeping the preanalytical phase under control a major challenge. The EFLM Working Group for the Preanalytical Phase has in recent years issued a number of recommendations and guidelines with the to improve standardization and harmonization of the preanalytical phase in Europe. While recommendations and guidelines are important to improve the overall quality, the devil is often in the detail. Laboratory professionals must continue to keep a careful eye (or two if they can spare them) on the preanalytical phase. The aim of this webinar is to make participants aware of the wide range of possible causes of preanalytical errors, both outside the laboratory and inside the laboratory  and illustrate these a number of mysteries from routine practice which ultimately allowed the identification of a preanalytical problem.

    About the speaker

    Pieter VermeerschProfessor Pieter Vermeersch is working as a clinical pathologist at the University Hospitals Leuven. He is the head of the special chemistry laboratory unit and responsible for evidence-based laboratory medicine and metabolic disease. He is also the past president of the Royal Belgian Society of Laboratory Medicine. His special interests are optimizing the pre- and post-analytical phase including and test interpretation of diagnostic test utilization.

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    • Assessment & Certificate