Six Sigma: Measuring Quality

How to Subscribe
MLS & MLT Comprehensive CE Package
Includes 176 CE courses, most popular
$109Add to cart
Pick Your Courses
Up to 8 CE hours
$55Add to cart
Individual course$25Add to cart
Need multiple seats for your university or lab? Get a quote
The page below is a sample from the LabCE course Basics of Lean and Six Sigma for the Laboratory. Access the complete course and earn ASCLS P.A.C.E.-approved continuing education credits by subscribing online.

Learn more about Basics of Lean and Six Sigma for the Laboratory (online CE course)
Six Sigma: Measuring Quality

Laboratory quality indicators are commonly measured as averages or percentages. For example:
  • The turnaround time (TAT) for a sendout test averages 3.5 days.
  • Type O units are available 99.9% of the time in an emergency release.
In the first example, it might appear that 3.5 days is a reasonable TAT for a sendout test at first glance, but an average of 3.5 days means the result can be available anytime between the same day to a week later. A patient may have to schedule an appointment at least one week later to ensure the result is available. This may potentially delay treatment. Physicians want to know when to expect their patients' results; they are not interested in knowing the average TAT but exactly when the result will be available.
In the second example, 99.9% might sound impressive but it would translate into 1 out of every 1000 patients requiring emergency transfusion as at risk of ABO hemolytic reaction. In fact if 99.9% is used to measured quality of the processes that happened in our everyday life, that would translate into:
  • 18 plane crashes daily
  • 17,660 mail mix-ups hourly
  • 3,700 medication errors daily
  • 10 dropped babies daily
  • $24.8 million worth of incorrect charges hourly
  • 500 wrong procedures performed weekly
Other industries realized long ago that measuring quality based on percentage or average is not adequate to satisfy customers. The need for a higher standard of quality led to the use of Six Sigma.