Washington, DC, November 29, 2011 The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) announces the launch of its 10th certificate program, Patient-Focused Quality Competence: The QC Gap, designed for laboratory professionals who want to learn about numerical quality control (QC), and evaluate and improve their QC practices to match patient need.

The quality of laboratory results has a direct effect on patient care and effective QC processes are essential to prevent the reporting of clinically misleading results. This certificate program, developed in conjunction with AWEsome Numbers Inc. of Worthington, ON, Canada, explains the fundamentals of laboratory QC; featuring case studies and self-assessments that illustrate the clinical consequences of laboratory error; the importance of Total Error; and how the processes used in the laboratory affect the ability of detect significant changes. The program concentrates on patient-focused QC plus causes and consequences of a QC Gap, and consists of four courses which can be completed online in 1-2 hours each, five lectures with audio, evaluation tools, discussion questions, and a final exam. Participants can earn four CE units for completing the entire program

To learn more about this important new program from AACC, contact Betsy Garman by email or by phone at (202) 857-0717 or (800) 892-1400.