Indikatori kvalitete.

Total Quality Management (TQM) is a specific approach to the art of management in a company that aims to provide its customers with products and services that fully meet their needs. Implementing TQM means introducing the quality management system, defining the quality policy and procedures which are essential quality assurance and quality control instruments. One of the critical elements of such systems is a concept of continuous improvement and quality indicators. Quality indicators are measurable, objective, quantitative measures of key system elements performance. They indicate the extent up to which a certain system meets the needs and expectations of the customers. Every clinical laboratory accredited according to the current standard for medical laboratories is obliged to systematically monitor and evaluate its quality indicators. Quality indicators should have clear and unambiguous definition and interpretation, whereas the ability to measure the indicator is a prerequisite for its successful implementation, reproducible application, monitoring and evaluation. They can indicate the quality of the key, strategic, and support processes. It is important that quality indicators address all three key processes in the laboratory: preanalytical, analytical and postanalytical. Besides for self-evaluation, quality indicators can also be used for benchmarking. While proficiency testing and inter laboratory comparison are well established for quite sometime, until the last two decades some preanalytical and postanalytical external quality assurance programs have also been launched and successfuly implemented in several countries. In this review general idea and concept of quality indicators is presented and some important issues discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]