LC-MS/MS Operations in the Clinical Laboratory (Full Day)

Sunday, July 28, 2024
9:00 AM – 4:30 PM US Central Time
McCormick Place Chicago

Description

This course will provide details on the components specific to running an LC-MS/MS laboratory for clinical diagnostics. As virtually all LC-MS/MS testing is lab-developed and wide-spread adoption of the technology is relatively recent, there are details specific to LC-MS/MS which are not published or readily available. Faculty will approach LC-MS/MS education from the practical view of how to use the technology on a day-to-day basis and troubleshoot the challenges of keeping the assays and instruments running. Participants will be engaged in lectures, small group discussion, and example exercises for team-based evaluations. This course will address items specific to the execution and maintenance of LC-MS/MS testing from a cradle-to-grave perspective, giving participants tools to improve turn-around time, reduce errors and increase quality.

Target Audience

This activity is designed for lab supervisors, lab directors (and/or assistant directors), lab managers (supervisory and/or non-supervisory), medical technologists, and in-training individuals.

Prerequisite Knowledge 

General understanding of clinical testing and some knowledge of the principles of chromatography and mass spectrometry are helpful, but not required.

What to Bring

Materials to take notes and any questions about LC-MS from their lab.

Learning Objectives

  • Identify components in LC-MS/MS procedures that provide risk to assay performance and provide corrective actions to mitigate or remove such risks.
  • Create strategies to adapt to the challenges derived from LC-MS/MS analysis, particularly lab-developed testing.
  • Implement best practices in their LC-MS/MS laboratories to ensure traceability and accuracy, while reducing assay down-time and turn-around times.

Faculty

Brian Rappold, BS | Labcorp

Russell Grant, PhD | Labcorp

Course Outline

  1. Components of Quality (90 mins.)
    An overview of quality in the MS lab and why it is distinct from other technologies will include examples of best practices and establishing metrics for quality with a group discussion on how to implement such practices.

  2. Operational Considerations (90 mins.)
    Continuity of MS operations will be discussed in groups, focusing on the analytical components of the LC-MS testing (analytical quality) as well as non-analytical factors (e.g. facilities).

  3. Dealing with Change (90 mins.)
    Group exercises will be introduced to provide instances of the reality of using LC-MS in a clinical environment, covering aspects relevant particularly to complex laboratory developed tests such as reagent changes, supply shortages, on-boarding staff, etc.

  4. Troubleshooting (90 mins.)
    Care and feeding of LC-MS systems and managing errors in processes can be a daunting task. Procedures, tips, and tricks from the instructors will be presented and discussed with group input on how local laboratory practices can move troubleshooting from reactionary to preventative. To reinforce the above topics, attendees will be presented with a number of challenges to address as a team in a game of LC-MS best practice battleships.