A solution to the problem of quality control for near-patient testing in general practice

Technological advances in near-patient testing equipment now enable a range of tests to be carried out near the patient. The project describes the efficiency gains for four GPs in sharing intellectual resources with our pathology services provider. The 'surgery' was treated as a satellite laboratory which was managed remotely. Practice staff were therefore relieved of the requirement to undergo exacting training in quality control and other trouble-shooting procedures. Overall supervision was undertaken as if the surgery laboratory was in the next room. It follows that quality control standards were duplicated, not modified and the medico-legal responsibilities were therefore underwritten by the trust. Paperwork and data entry errors were reduced by direct transfer of the pathology results into the patient records of two clinical systems in the surgery. Results could be available within half-an-hour.