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OBJECTIVE: To describe a comprehensive integrated laboratory quality management plan for gynecologic cytology. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cytopathology laboratory performance monitors with interlaboratory comparison. RESULTS: Utilizing College of American Pathologists Q-Probes studies, the College of American Pathologists Interlaboratory Comparison Program in Cervicovaginal Cytology, and other published data, a quality management program for gynecologic cytology involving diagnostic statistics, screening limits and competency assessment, retrospective rescreening, real-time rescreening, cytology-biopsy correlation, follow-up of patients with abnormal cytology results, turnaround time, examination of unknown slides (survey programs), and new technology is described. CONCLUSION: Regular coordinated monitoring of performance, with longitudinal and interlaboratory comparison utilizing the methods described, provides an opportunity to optimize gynecologic cytology service.
Jones et al. (Mon,) studied this question.