Quality Control User Interface: 

 

The Quality Control module can be viewed by clicking on 'QC' on the preLink menu bar, as shown below. 


 

This will bring you to the following screen:


Figure 1: Default page for QC


From here, the user will be able to perform the following functions:

 

  • Search, view, create, update and delete QC lots 
  • Show old, inactive QC lots 
  • Copy a QC lot 
  • Accept or reject result and/or runs for a QC lot 
  • Accept outstanding results for any QC lot 
  • View a QC lot report (Levey Jennings graph for each test) 


By default, the QC Lot page will not display inactive/expired QC Lots. To view these QC Lots, the user must select the “Show inactive QC lots” checkbox (to the right of Search field). 


Figure 2: Editing details for a QC lot 

 

A QC lot should be setup for a specific Instrument, current date range and a Barcode/Sample Id that will easily identify the QC lot. The Start Date and End Date should be set to realistic dates as the number of days and expected results will influence the layout of the Levey Jennings graph.  

 

For example:  


  • If a QC lot was required to run a control each day, it would be advisable to set the Start and End date range to a single month. This would plot 30 results on the graph make the graph more readable. 
  • If a QC lot was required to only run a control once a month, the Start and End date range could be for the entire year. This would plot 12 results on the graph. 


Figure 3: Editing tests for a QC lot 3 

 

The user will enter the Mean and Standard Deviation (SD) values for the Test and preLink will calculate the Mins 2 SD, Plus 2 SD and the minimum x and y axis values. 

 

Copy QC Lot:

 

The ‘Copy’ link provides an easy way to clone an existing QC Lot without the user having to setup all the tests for the lot again. The user will be able to enter the new Barcode/Sample Id and the date range for the cloned QC Lot. 


Figure 4: Copy a current QC lot to a new one 

 

Accept outstanding Quality Control Runs:

 

By default, QC runs and results are not automatically accepted by preLink. A user must review and then select which runs and results must be accepted.

 

A user will also be able to reject any runs that are deemed incorrect or invalid for the QC. 


Figure 5: Accepting outstanding results  

 

View QC Lot Results:

 

Figure 6: Viewing result report for a QC lot 

 

The Levey Jennings graph will only display results and runs that have been accepted. All results that fall outside of the valid range (Plus 2 SD and Minus 2 SD) will be displayed in red. 

 

Running a QC Sample:

 

This barcode must be printed and stuck on the sample before running it on the analyser.

 

Results can only be obtained from analysers that are connected to preLink. There is no manual entry of QC results at this point in time. 


After the control sample is run on the analyser and transmitted to preLink, preLink will use the barcode and current date to determine the correct QC lot to use. The QC lot must be active and the date range must include the sample run date and time. 


The result is then created in the QC result area and not the normal request result area. 


A user will have to review all outstanding runs and results, select the results to accept and click ‘Accept’.