Professional Standards & Competencies Flashcards
7 cards from real CLC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Professional Standards & Competencies flashcards as text
A CLC is advising on laboratory test utilization management. The metric that best measures inappropriate overutilization of a specific test is:
Answer: The percentage of tests with no actionable clinical impact on the ordering record
Tracking tests that did not change clinical management identifies unnecessary testing and is the most direct measure of overutilization.
When establishing a reference interval for a new population, the minimum recommended sample size per CLSI EP28-A3c is:
Answer: 120 reference individuals
CLSI EP28-A3c recommends a minimum of 120 reference individuals to establish a valid reference interval using the non-parametric method.
A laboratory consultant observing a quality control failure pattern where results trend in one direction over several consecutive days should suspect:
Answer: Systematic analytical error such as reagent deterioration or calibration drift
A unidirectional trend in QC data over consecutive days indicates systematic error, often related to reagent degradation, instrument drift, or calibration issues.
Which Westgard rule signals a warning rather than a mandatory QC failure requiring investigation?
Answer: 1-2s rule
The 1-2s rule (one control value exceeding ±2 SD) is a warning rule in the Westgard scheme and does not by itself require rejection of the analytical run.
A CLC conducting a post-merger laboratory consolidation should prioritize which activity FIRST?
Answer: Conducting a regulatory compliance audit of both laboratories
Identifying any existing compliance gaps before consolidation prevents inherited regulatory liabilities from affecting the merged entity.
The concept of 'total testing process' in laboratory quality management encompasses:
Answer: Pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical phases
The total testing process includes all three phases: pre-analytical (before testing), analytical (during testing), and post-analytical (after testing), where most errors occur in the pre-analytical phase.
A laboratory consultant recommends implementing Lean methodology. The primary goal of Lean in a laboratory setting is to:
Answer: Identify and eliminate waste to improve workflow efficiency and quality
Lean methodology focuses on identifying and eliminating non-value-added activities (waste) to streamline laboratory workflows and improve quality.