CAP Pro Course - Chemistry - QC, Calibration, and Reportable Range (2026 & 2027)

Author: Kevin F. Foley, PhD, DABCC, MLS, SC
Reviewers: DeRhonda Crawford, MLS(ASCP) and Laurie Bjerklie, MA, MLS(ASCP)CM

Continuing Education Credits

Objectives

  • Explain the role of quality control testing in ensuring accurate patient results.
  • Discuss calibration and calibration verification, identifying when each procedure is required.
  • Define analytical measurement range and describe which actions need to be undertaken when a result exceeds this range.
  • Identify the requirements for comparing results if the laboratory uses more than one instrument/method to test for an analyte.

Course Outline

  • Explain the role of quality control testing in ensuring accurate patient results.
      • Quality Control
      • Quality Control for Qualitative Chemistry Tests
      • Evaluating Quality Control Results
      • Quality Control Failures
      • Delta Check
      • Proficiency Testing
      • Proficiency Testing Requirements
      • A chemistry laboratory supervisor discovers that serum creatinine testing has been performed for the last 8 hours despite the fact that the low QC fai...
      • You are preparing to work for the day, and while running QC for prolactin, you notice that level 1 failed. Level 2 and level 3 are within acceptable l...
      • You have been given a set of proficiency testing (PT) samples to run on the chemistry instrument you are operating for the day. Which of these procedu...
  • Discuss calibration and calibration verification, identifying when each procedure is required.
      • Calibration and Calibration Verification
      • Calibration versus Linearity
      • Calibration and Calibration Verification Frequency
      • Your technical supervisor has asked you to verify the calibration for all your electrolyte assays. Which of the following is not an acceptable way to ...
      • A medical laboratory scientist (MLS) is asked by a supervisor to run three "assay verification samples" provided by the manufacturer. The instrument a...
      • Major maintenance was performed on the chemistry analyzer. Calibration verification is performed by testing the calibrators as unknowns to validate th...
      • Your laboratory is being inspected by representatives from the accreditation agency that certifies your laboratory. Which of the following would be an...
  • Define analytical measurement range and describe which actions need to be undertaken when a result exceeds this range.
      • Analytical Measurement Range
      • Analytical Measurement Range, continued
      • Decision Tree: Analytical Measurement Range Verification
      • Extending the Measurement Range
      • Dilution Protocols
      • Which of the following accurately describes the distinction between analytical measurement range (AMR) and calibration verification?
      • What is the intent of analytical measurement range (AMR) verification?
      • A medical laboratory scientist is performing their biannual analytical measurement range (AMR) study for beta-hCG. Since the laboratory is used to see...
      • The analytical measurement range (AMR) for your laboratory's serum glucose assay is 10–800 mg/dL. A sample is tested and the result is >800 m...
      • Your medical director has asked that your laboratory extend the analytical measurement range (AMR) for beta-hydroxybutyrate. You currently use an FDA-...
  • Identify the requirements for comparing results, if the laboratory uses more than one instrument/method to test for an analyte.
      • Instrument/Method Comparisons
      • Instrument/Method Comparisons, continued
      • Which of the following is true concerning a six-month instrument comparison?
      • A laboratory wants to compare the prolactin results from its main instrument with those from its backup instrument, located in another section of the ...
      • At least twice per year a lead medical laboratory scientist makes three separate pools of patient serum and distributes two samples of each across the...
      • If a laboratory is subject to CLIA regulations, a laboratory must perform twice-a-year checks for comparability of test results when more than one ins...
  • References
      • References

Additional Information

Level of Instruction: Intermediate
Intended Audience: Medical laboratory scientists, medical laboratory technicians, laboratory supervisors, and laboratory managers. This course is also appropriate for MLS and MLT students and pathology residents.
Author Information: Kevin F. Foley, PhD, DABCC, MLS, SC, is the Northwest chemistry, toxicology, immunology, and POC director for Kaiser Permanente. He also teaches pharmacology, clinical chemistry, immunology, and medicinal chemistry at Oregon Health Sciences University. Dr. Foley earned his PhD in clinical pharmacology and toxicology at the East Carolina School of Medicine in North Carolina. His research areas include cardiovascular risk and inflammation markers, as well as the neuropharmacology of amphetamine-like compounds. He is a frequent contributor to several clinical laboratory publications and is active in the American Association of Clinical Chemistry.
The author has no conflict of interest to disclose. 
Reviewer Information:
DeRhonda Crawford, MLS(ASCP), is the chemistry supervisor at Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville, Georgia, and the technical supervisor for Gwinnett Medical Center in Duluth, Georgia. She holds a BS in Medical Technology from the Medical College of Georgia.
Laurie Bjerklie, MA, MLS(ASCP)CM, is a Lead Education Developer. She earned a B.S. in Medical Laboratory Science from the University of North Dakota and an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from Saint Xavier University. She has over 15 years of experience in higher education and has held program director and faculty positions in both MLT and MLS programs.

This course is part of the CAP Competency Assessment Hub.

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