Evaluating laboratory performance on quality indicators with the six sigmascale

Context.-Laboratory quality indicator data, most often presented and report ed as a percentage of variance, may be misleading, inasmuch as variances, a nd therefore percentages, appear to be low. Method.-Current data from laboratory quality indicators and national data d erived from several years of College of American Pathologists Q-Probes stud ies were normalized to parts-per-million defects, as commonly practiced in the manufacturing and service industries for benchmarking performance. Results.-Laboratory data in parts-per-million defects demonstrated opportun ities for significant improvements in laboratory performance across the tot al testing process; Conclusions.-Historical quality assurance programs do not appear to be sign ificantly improving the total testing process. Manufacturing and service in dustries are using quality systems strategies, such as ISO 9000 and the Bal dridge Award Criteria, to effect improvements in both productivity and cost . Quality system solutions for performance improvement may provide a system atic approach to improving laboratory performance.