3.3.1 Quality indicators

CLSI QMS12a (2019) defines quality indicators as the ‘process of monitoring for and addressing error’. Quality indicators measure evidence to assess the quality of a process, so requiring the development of procedures that collect appropriate, measurable and interpretable information.

Quality indicators may cover technical proficiency, data quality or laboratory practice. Some examples of quality indicators for laboratories carrying out antimicrobial susceptibility tests might include:

• the percentage of correctly identified bacterial isolates
• the consistency of results with quality control strains
• the timely reporting of results
• adherence to biosafety practices.

The identification of quality indicators can occur through both risk assessment and the identification of frequent errors, which can occur within a local laboratory environment or over larger geographical areas, such as regional or national laboratories.

Poor design of quality indicators can result in additional work in the laboratory, an inability to be able to collect the relevant information or to carry out the action plan.