External Quality Assessment (EQA) or Proficiency Testing in Molecular Diagnostics
The Molecular Diagnostic Committee (C-MD) will review below tables on an annual basis along with the webpages.
Eqa-genotyping-v5-2019
Eqa-bacteriologyv5-2019
Eqa-mycology-and-parasitology-v5-2019
Eqa-virology-v5-2019
Eqa-somatic-tumor-mutation-v5-2019
External Quality Assessment (EQA) or Proficiency Testing in Molecular Diagnostics
External Quality Assessment (EQA) or Proficiency Testing in Molecular Diagnostics External quality assessment (EQA) or Proficiency Testing (PT) describes the process of comparing the laboratory's test results to an outside source. There are four methods for EQA/PT: rechecking or retesting samples that have previously been tested by an reference laboratory, on site evaluation, inter-laboratory exchange of samples (usually between a few laboratories), and proficiency testing. In proficiency testing, an organization provides unknown samples for testing to a set of laboratories and the results from all laboratories are analyzed and reported to the laboratories. EQA identifies systematic errors in testing, training needs, and objective evidence of testing quality.
The following table describes the EQA Providers available for Infectious Diseases, Oncology and Genotyping. The parameter (also known as analyte) is listed and the provider(s) of EQA programs are included in the row for each parameter or analyte.
For the purpose of this document the agencies are as follows:
- CAP - College of American Pathologists
- Controllab - External quality assurance in laboratory medicine (Brasil)
- RfB- The German Society for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine is the controlling body of the RfB- Reference Institute for Bioanalytics
- ECAT - European concerted Action on Thrombosis Foundation: International Thrombophilia External Quality
- ETNCF - Cystic Fibrosis European Network = European Thematic Network for Cystic Fibrosis = ECCACF European Community Concerted Action for Cystic Fibrosis
- EMQN - European Molecular Genetics Quality Network
- EQUALIS - External quality assurance in laboratory medicine in Sweden
- GenQA - Genomics Quality Assessment (part of the UKNEQAS Consortium)
- INSTAND - Institute for Standardization and Documentation in the Medical Laboratory
- Labquality Ltd., Finland
- NRL-Quality - External quality assurance in laboratory medicine (Australia)
- ÖQUASTA - Austrian association for Quality Assurance and Standardization of medical-diagnositc tests
- QUIP - Arbeitsgruppe für Qualitätssicherung in der Molekularpathologie der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Pathologie
- QCMD- Quality Control for Molecular Diagnostics
- Qualicont Kft (Quality Control from Hungary)
- RCPA - Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Quality Assurance Programs Pty. Limited, Australia: RCPA Haematology QAP Molecular Diagnostics
- SKML External quality assurance in laboratory medicine (The Netherlands)