AACC ANNOUNCES TWO NEW WEBINARS
AACC ANNOUNCES TWO NEW WEBINARS
Washington, DC, September 27, 2011 The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) announces two new webinars: Understanding and Managing Lot-to-Lot Variation in Immunoassays on October 26; and Top Ten Tips for Managing Your POCT Program on November 9. The webinars will commence at 2:00pm Eastern and run for 60 and 90 minutes respectively.
Lot-to-lot variation can be a significant source of analytical error, particularly in immunoassays, and especially when very low concentrations of an analyte are being reported as clinically significant or when a reference range is very narrow. Laboratories use a number of checks and balances to ensure the accuracy of test results, one of those being validation of new reagent lots when introducing them on lab analyzers. This webinar will address why QC alone is inadequate for evaluating the impact of a change in reagent lot; what regulatory agencies and accrediting organizations require labs to do when validating a new reagent lot; how one lab director determines the ‘allowable’ variation when switching to a new reagent lot; strategies for ‘troubleshooting’ problems when introducing a new reagent lot; and additional steps laboratories can take to validate new reagent lots in special cases (like troponin) where there are very specific recommendations for measuring an analyte and reporting results. The expert panel for the webinar is Doris M. Haverstick, PhD, Associate Professor of Pathology, Director of Toxicology, Point of Care Testing, and Specimen Collection and Management, Associate Director of Clinical Chemistry, Department of Pathology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, and Nils B. Person, PhD, FACB, Senior Staff Scientist, Global Product Education, Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, Tarrytown, NY. The webinar will be moderated by Steven R. Binder, Director of Technology Development, Clinical Diagnostic Group, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Hercules, CA.
Managing a POCT program requires a solid knowledge of testing processes, attention to detail, excellent communication and leadership skills, and a commitment to continuous quality improvement. Successful POCT managers look for new management ideas wherever they can find them, often sharing advice with their peers and learning some of their most valuable lessons from the successes and failures of other POCT professionals. During this webinar, James H Nichols, PhD, DABCC, FACB, Professor of Pathology, Tufts University School of Medicine and Medical Director, Clinical Chemistry, Baystate Health System, Springfield, MA, and Kimberly Skala, MT (ASCP), Point of Care Coordinator, ACL Laboratories, Advocate Christ Medical Center & Hope Children’s Hospital, Oak Lawn, IL, will share their insights on POCT program management, each providing 10 valuable tips for managing POCT in today’s fast-paced environment.
AACC is please to invite journalists reporting on these vital aspects of the laboratory to attend the webinars. To register, complete and submit a Press Registration Form. For more information about either webinar or AACC, contact Peter Patterson by email or on either of the above phone numbers.
AACC is a leading professional society dedicated to improving healthcare through laboratory medicine. Its over 9,000 members are clinical laboratory professionals, physicians, research scientists, and others involved in developing tests and directing laboratory operations. AACC brings this community together with programs that advance knowledge, expertise, and innovation.
