PathLab

PathLab is committed to the provision of reliable, accurate and timely pathology services to referring medical practitioners. The service involves screening, diagnosis, interpretation and monitoring of illnesses. In a market of multinational corporate owned and operated pathology practices, PathLab is an independent pathology practice, focussing on patient welfare.

The Lab was originally founded in 1994 as a private pathology practice to provide a personalised, efficient, high quality and professional pathology service. The practice employs pathologists, graduate scientists, technicians, trained pathology collectors, couriers, clerks and ancillary personnel. All staff are involved in ongoing training and educational programs to maintain and develop their expertise.

Quality Service & Control

Patient care is the paramount consideration of any medical service. Extending this philosophy to the practice of pathology means that it is no longer sufficient to provide reliable laboratory results alone, there must also be certainty about the many non-laboratory aspects of the service. At PathLab, Total Quality Control is a system of auditing which is fully integrated into the day to day processing of pathology specimens, thereby ensuring a totally reliable service. This system of checks operates from the moment the specimen is obtained from the patient, right through to the delivery of the final report to the referring doctor. It even applies to accounting procedures to ensure accuracy of patient billings.

Internal Quality Control

This is the control of analytical variables performed routinely by the laboratory to check procedures and results on a continual basis. Such means of control include:

• The choice of method
• Verifying reference intervals
• Standards and calibration
• Use of control materials
• Documentation of protocols

External Quality Control

This involves surveys conducted by outside organisations in which "unknown" samples are sent to the laboratory. At present, PathLab participates in the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (R.C.P.A) surveys in Haematology, Biochemistry (combined with the AACB Survey), Microbiology, Immunology, Blood Bank and Anatomical Pathology.

Independent Outside Review

On a weekly basis we have outside consultants visit our laboratory to review specific aspects of our work. A written report is presented and if necessary, method changes and training sessions arranged.