Quality assurance goals in clinical pathology.

Certain conditions must be fulfilled to meet quality assurance objectives in clinical pathology. Commitment to goals for improving quality and participation by everyone involved are prerequisites. Quality assurance is driven by information that is used to examine processes so that they can be improved. Inspection alone, however, does not produce quality; quality must be designed into the process to reduce the likelihood of errors and to produce long-lasting improvement. Specifications for meeting quality assurance goals should be determined by the expectations of users of the service. Accomplishments are measured by users' perceptions. Integration of laboratory and clinical information, together with communication links between all components of the health care processes, is critical for success.