Prothrombin Time Testing Practices in the Pacific Northwest

longstanding focus on activities carried out in the name of quality assurance, quality improvement, total quality management, and quality assessment. In 1999, a report by the Institute of Medicine revealed the magnitude of medical errors and concluded that most were the result of systematic failures and were preventable.1 One approach to reducing serious medical errors is by identifying quality indicators and developing systems for best practices. Practice standards and guidelines are developed through a consensus process that identifies specific essential requirements for materials, methods, and practices. They are designed to both establish and harmonize best practices among the health care community. However, studies have shown that despite required and voluntary standards of practice, many laboratory professionals fail to use them.2