How Often is Right for QC?

It is widely accepted that laboratories should perform QC at least every day of patient testing. However, is this adequate for every assay and for every laboratory? Is running QC once per day really sufficient? What is the “right” frequency for running QC samples in your laboratory? ISO 15189 regulations don’t state a recommended QC frequency but they do recommend that “Quality Control materials shall be periodically examined with a frequency that is based on the stability of the procedure and the risk of harm to the patient from an erroneous result”. ISO 15189 understands that differing tests and situations will require differing QC frequencies. Read this guide to learn more about deciding on the QC frequency for your lab.