COVER STORY

Tools for Benchmarking Performance
How Lean, Six Sigma Improve Lab Efficiency and Quality
By Phil Kibak

Results of a recent study show that Lean management techniques show significant benefits over traditional management methods in improving TAT, maintaining workflow, and improving outliers. 

Beyond PSA
Do Novel Markers of Prostate Cancer Offer Better Specificity?
By Deborah Levenson

Advances in molecular diagnostics, better knowledge of the human genome, and proteomic tools have yielded several promising, novel biomarkers of prostate cancer. EPCA-2, PCA3, and certain risk alleles lead the list of candidates, but still need better validation, researchers say. 

SERIES ARTICLE

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring
Recognizing the Sources of Interferences in Immunoassays
Amitava Dasgupta, PhD, DABCC

Today, labs rely chiefly on competition immunoassays to establish the relationship between plasma drug concentration and therapeutic response and/or toxicity. But results can be misleading because of cross-reactants that are present in the sample.

NEWS BRIEF

Healthcare Quality Gains Slowing 

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