Quality overview
Understand QC controls, QC result entry, result history, instrument setup, and release safety.
Why quality matters in Kashef
Quality in Fohosat connects quality control material, control targets, entered QC values, rule analysis, instruments, and result release decisions. The goal is to help the lab detect analytical problems before patient results are trusted. It does not replace the lab's quality policy, but it gives staff a structured place to configure controls, record results, review warnings, and connect instruments to tests and branches.
Use this area before relying on patient testing for a method, analyzer, shift, or reagent lot. When QC is configured well, managers can see which controls are active, which tests have targets, which results were normal or rejected, and which instrument was involved.
Main pages
QC Controls defines control material and target Mean/SD values by test. Enter QC Results is the data-entry page used by staff to record QC runs. QC Results History is the read-only review table for all saved QC results. Instruments manages analyzers, supported tests, tube compatibility, operating capacity, schedule, and connection settings.
The quality workflow depends on setup order. Create instruments and tests first. Create QC controls with targets for those tests. Then enter QC results and review the status.
How QC analysis works
When a QC result is saved, Fohosat looks for the matching target for the selected control and test. It calculates a z-score using the target mean and standard deviation. A result outside plus or minus 2 SD and up to 3 SD is marked warning with a 1-2s violation. A result outside plus or minus 3 SD is rejected with 1-3s. If the current warning and previous chronological result are both beyond 2 SD on the same side, it is rejected with 2-2s.
This is a simplified Westgard implementation. Treat warnings and rejections as prompts for laboratory review. The responsible quality person should decide whether to repeat QC, inspect reagent and instrument condition, recalibrate, or hold patient result release.
Instrument connection to quality
Instruments are part of quality because they identify where a QC value was generated and which tests can be routed or processed on that analyzer. Instrument status can be online, busy, maintenance, or offline. Capacity fields and schedules help operations understand workload. Tube compatibility and supported tests help routing logic choose the right analyzer.
If a QC failure appears on one instrument, check instrument status, recent maintenance, reagent lot, control lot, and any related patient results before continuing.
Daily rhythm
At the start of a shift, confirm active controls are not expired and have targets for the tests being run. Enter QC results with the correct run date, control, and instrument. Review warnings or rejections immediately. Use the history page to compare recent results by control, test, date range, and instrument.
Document any corrective action outside the numeric result when your lab policy requires it. The system stores QC results and violations, but management still needs clear SOP-based decisions.
Checklist
- QC controls are active only while valid for use.
- Each control lot has targets for the tests it covers.
- Mean, SD, and unit match the manufacturer's insert or validated lab target.
- QC results are entered with the correct instrument when applicable.
- Warning and rejected statuses are reviewed before patient result release.
- Instrument status and maintenance state are kept current.