Quality
OncQuest's Quality Assurance Program monitors performance from specimen pick-up to results reporting. This program consists of two elements:
- Laboratory Quality Control program was established to ensure accuracy and precision in specimen handling
and daily laboratory clinical testing.
- Continuous quality improvement solves problems and reviews performance data to determine efficiency of
specimen processing and results reporting.
Quality control includes proper and reproducible alignment and calibration of the cytometer
(laser power, light scatter, and PMT voltage for each fluorescence channel), databases demonstrating the
distribution of the marker on normal specimens, positive and negative controls performed concomitantly with
the clinical test to ensure accuracy of the assay on a given day, and proper specimen handling and sample
preparation. The Flow Cytometry Laboratory participates in external QC programs. An isotype, a normal whole
blood control, or a commercially stabilized whole blood reference control is run for each antibody used.