Disadvantages Of Vertical Audit

Clinical audit is a continuous process that analyzes procedures through various aspects adapted during diagnosis and treatment of patients to ensure successful outcomes especially in pathology, staff training, quality and most uniquely the safety among staffs. Vertical audit is one of the types of clinical audits performed in medical laboratories, which involves analyzing the ways, a simple sample undertakes all pre analytical, analytical and post analytical procedures form reception to report issuing (Pitt and Cunningham, 2013). The scenario explained above fulfills all mentioned criteria above. Therefore, it can be said that it is more concerned on Quality Assurance (QA).
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Quality assurance can be defined as a plan that ensure quality maintenance

One of the major disadvantages of horizontal audit is that, it is more complicated to relate different processes of same criteria. We can take an instance as an example where only document control is considered but we cannot relate how document control helps in the process of supply ordering and customer satisfaction (Clinical pathology accrediation (UK) ltd, 2000). These can be useful that helps in the improvement in sales. But horizontal audit can be excellently advantageous in follow ups of corrective actions for enabling the effectiveness. It audits a particular aspect of quality management system. It can question whether the quality manual contains a quality policy, empowerment of resources like staff training and education. CPA standard quotes that every laboratory should contain a library to educate all staffs on all aspects. The below mentioned are some of the most important questions that can be asked during a horizontal audit as published by an European funded project for Caribbean laboratory accreditation services in the year of 2010 (Guevara and Kindler, 2010). 1. Is there an up to date SOP for document control? 2. Is the document current and within review date? 3. Is there evidence that the

Computer systems 7. Health and safety or security 8. General observation on results issuing (Carson, Dent and Britain, 2007) Facilities include location and construction of the laboratory according to requirement, space sufficiency, sufficient space for storage and ensuring standards for proper environment for working. There should be a good way of securing access to unauthorized location in a laboratory. Requirement of an organization chart to check whether there is necessary human resource. There must be facilities to examine signature log, job facilities, induction to new employees, and training policies. These are to be included under personnel (Carson, Dent and Britain, 2007). Analyzing availability of requirement of instruments and proper documentation is one of the main items checked under equipments. Maintaining log to update maintenance, caliberation and standardization of instruments along with reagents, maintaining a temperature log for refrigerator and freezers, checking and caliberation of pipettes and thermometers and receipts for purchasing of reagents and proper storage facilities are checked under horizontal audit of equipments and reagents. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) for analytical processes, staff training, retaining of clinical materials, authorizing and result issuing are checked and updated. And it is important to audit SOP reliability and interactive reviews by authorized personnel with a period of time (Carson, Dent and Britain, 2007). It