From Data to Action: Leveraging Essential Quality Indicators and Digital Solutions to Improve Patient Safety

Course overview

Quality indicators (QIs) are critical tools in strengthening quality systems and ensuring patient safety in laboratory medicine. They enable labs to monitor performance, identify areas for improvement, and proactively reduce errors across the total testing process. Despite their recognized value, many laboratories struggle to implement and utilize QIs effectively, often due to limited time, resources, or data access. Dr. Vincent De Guire, clinical biochemist in the Optilab Montreal-CHUM laboratory network and clinical assistant professor at the University of Montreal in Canada, will introduce a focused set of essential quality indicators identified through international consensus by the IFCC Working Group on Laboratory Errors and Patient Safety (WG-LEPS). These QIs were selected for their strong link to patient safety, applicability across diverse laboratory environments, and potential to support global harmonization of quality data. Participants will gain insight into why targeting a small number of high-impact indicators can yield more meaningful and sustainable quality improvements. Dr. De Guire will also explore practical strategies for integrating QIs into daily operations using informatics tools, dashboards and laboratory information system (LIS platforms), empowering labs to drive quality, achieve accreditation goals, and enhance patient outcomes.