KGH Clinical Laboratories: Focus on Quality | Pathology | School of Medicine

The Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine seeks to achieve excellence in all of its services through defining high priority areas for improvement, conducting thorough analysis of performance, measuring performance in a rigorous manner and implementing changes to improve the system’s performance and reduce waste.

Quality is always at the heart of the practice of Laboratory Medicine. It takes different forms: Quality Control activities are performed on a day to day basis to ensure accuracy and precision of lab test results. Quality Assurance focuses on monitoring compliance with processes and customer satisfaction (such as turnaround times for test results). Quality Improvement is a culture and a continuous journey of learning. We employ different proven methodologies (eg. Lean Process Excellence and Value Stream Mapping) to address complex workflow and process issues, often in a multi-disciplinary setting. We have one ultimate goal in mind: to provide the customer, i.e the patient, with the highest quality of laboratory diagnostic services possible.

We embrace the Institute of Medicine's definition of Quality: quality is achieved when the service provided is patient-centered, timely, safe, effective, efficient and equitable.

Our Joint Management Team (JMT) consists of the Department Head, Deputy Head/Medical Laboratory Director, Administrative Director, Lab Managers (4), Division Service Chiefs (5), and Senior Quality Medical Laboratory Technologist. Together, the JMT is responsible for operations, quality, risk and utilization management matters within the KGH Clinical Laboratories.

To learn more about Queen's Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine Quality Improvement program please follow the links on our website to contact any one of us