This Quality System Essential course is about using external and internal assessments to verify that your laboratory’s processes meet requirements and to determine how well those processes are functioning. The term assessmentsis used in quality management when referring to onsite inspections or surveys, proficiency testing, quality assurance reviews, and other evaluations done inside the laboratory. At the end of this course you will be able to:

• Outline the purpose of assessments
• Distinguish between external and internal assessments
• Differentiate the two types of external assessments
• Classify at least three types of internal assessments
• Summarize the purpose and function of a laboratory quality report
• Outline the components of a quality report

This course has been approved for P.A.C.E.® credit. The suggested prerequisite for this course is:

• QMS: Introduction to Quality Management in the Medical Laboratory