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External QA Programs for Clinical (Medical) Laboratories
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Program Name: AccuTest
Affiliation:
Specialties: Andrology Chemistry - Matrix-insensitive/ fresh serum Chem, Lipid, NeoBili, Glycated Hb, Cardiac markers, and TDM; Blood gases, POCT, tumor markers Hematology - Full menu; 3-part and 5-part diffs, ESR, Retic, CO-OX Hb fractions Immunology Microbiology - B
Frequency: 3 shipments X 5 samples
Participants: 2000 - Hospital labs, Independent labs, reference labs, physician`s office labs
Fees:
Notes:
 
Program Name: AcroMetrix HIV-1 Resistance Proficiency Program
Affiliation: Commercial
Specialties: Genetics -Molecular Diagnostics
Frequency: 2 - 3 times per year with 5 challenges per shipment
Participants: Varies with challenge - International - open to any laboratory performing HIV-1 resistance mutation testing
Fees: Yes
Notes: This program meets CLIA requirements of 42 CFR sec 493.1709b. Additional molecular diagnostic challenges will be available in 2002.
 
Program Name: Aflatoxin analysis performance scheme
Affiliation: Government
Specialties: Aflatoxin analysis in grain (corn and groundnut)
Frequency: 2 cycles/year
Participants: 25 - Government and non-government labs in Thailand
Fees: No
Notes:
 
Program Name: AIDS Clinical Trial Group (ACTG)
Affiliation:
Specialties: HIV-RNA (quantitative) HIV-DNA (qualitative)
Frequency: HIV-RNA bi-monthly; HIV-1 DNA: 2x per year
Participants:
Fees:
Notes:
 
Program Name: American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
Affiliation: Medical Specialty Assn., not-for-profit
Specialties: Chemistry, Hematology,Microbiology,Immunology, Immunohematology
Frequency:
Participants:
Fees:
Notes:
 
Program Name: American Association of Bioanalysts (AAB)
Affiliation:
Specialties:
Frequency:
Participants:
Fees:
Notes:
 
Program Name: American Proficiency Institute
Affiliation:
Specialties: Chemistry - General, TDM, Immunoassay, Point of Care Hematology - General, Flow cytometry, Practioner-performed microscopy, Urinalysis with point of care options Microbiology- Bacteriology, Mycology, Parasitology, AFB Smears, Viral Antigens
Frequency: 3 test events per year
Participants: 10,000 - 90% Physician Office, 10% Hospital
Fees: Yes
Notes: Paperless PT option; Free CME through affiliation with ASCP
 
Program Name: Analytical Services International Proficiency Testing schemes for immunosuppressive drugs
Affiliation: Commercial
Specialties: Chemistry - Immunosuppressive drugs - cyclosporin, tacrolimus, mycophenolate, sacrolimus
Frequency: Monthly (3 challenges)
Participants: Cylosporin program has 424 participants in 34 countries
Fees:
Notes: Appears that PT schemes are for diagnostic and pharmaceutical industry
 
Program Name: Azienda Ospedaliera di Bologna - AOSP EQA
Affiliation:
Specialties:
Frequency:
Participants: Over 800 participating laboratories
Fees:
Notes:
 
Program Name: Azienda Ospedaliera di Bologna - EQA
Affiliation:
Specialties:
Frequency:
Participants: Over 800 participating laboratories.
Fees:
Notes:
 
Program Name: Belgian Official EKE schemes
Affiliation: Government
Specialties: Chemistry, Immunoassays, Immunohematology, Immunology, Virology, Microbiology, Parasitology, Flow cytometery, Sperm analysis, Allergens Hematology - Coagulation
Frequency:
Participants:
Fees:
Notes:
 
Program Name: Bio-Dev, VEQ Europa
Affiliation: Commercial
Specialties: Chemistry, Hematology, Coagulation, Microbiology
Frequency:
Participants:
Fees:
Notes:
 
Program Name: Bio-Rad EQAS (External Quality Assurance Services)
Affiliation: Commercial
Specialties: Chemistry - General, TDM, Immunoassay Immunology - specific proteins (immunoassay), tumor markers
Frequency: 12 samples per 6 months: 1 sample tested every 2 weeks. (total 24 times per year)
Participants: Varies by scheme - Worldwide (over 50 countries)
Fees: Yes
Notes: All schemes accredited by Clinical Pathology Accreditation (UK) Ltd. CPA)
 
Program Name: Blood Alcohol Proficiency Test
Affiliation: Government
Specialties: Blood alcohol analysis
Frequency: 2 cycles/year (4 PT samples)
Participants: 30 - Government and non-government labs in Thailand
Fees: No
Notes:
 
Program Name: Blood Lead Proficiency Test
Affiliation: Government
Specialties: Blood lead analysis
Frequency: 4 cycles/year
Participants: 70 - Government and non-government labs in Thailand
Fees: No
Notes:
 
Program Name: California Thoracic Society
Affiliation:
Specialties:
Frequency:
Participants:
Fees:
Notes:
 
Program Name: Canadian Immunology Quality Assessment Program (CIQAP)
Affiliation: Government
Specialties: HIV Immunology
Frequency: 6 Time per year
Participants: Clinical laboratories from the Canadian HIV Trials Network (CTN)/ 50
Fees:
Notes:
 
Program Name: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)(NSQAP) Performance Evaluation Program for Less Sensitive anti-HIV-1
Affiliation: Government
Specialties: Anti-HIV-1 testing using dried blood spots
Frequency: Quarterly
Participants: 49 Laboratories worldwide
Fees: No
Notes:
 
Program Name: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Cholesterol Reference Method Laboratory Network (CRMLN)
Affiliation: Government: HHS
Specialties: provides bi-monthly analytical performance challenges to Network members
Frequency:
Participants: 11 CRMLN labs
Fees:
Notes:
 
Program Name: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Ensuring the Quality of Urinary Iodine Procedures (EQUIP)
Affiliation: Government
Specialties: Urinary iodine
Frequency: Three times per year
Participants: 43 labs representing 30 countries
Fees: No
Notes:
 
Program Name: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Lead and Multi-element Proficiency Program (LAMP)
Affiliation: Government
Specialties: Blood lead, mercury, and cadmium analysis
Frequency: 4 times per year
Participants: Approximately 250 laboratories world wide
Fees: No
Notes:
 
Program Name: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Model Performance Evaluation Program (MPEP)
Affiliation:
Specialties: HIV-1 RNA (quantitative); HIV-1 Ab, HIV rapid testintg, Mycobacterium tuberculosis by Nucleic Acid Amplification, Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug susceptibility testing
Frequency: 2 times per year
Participants: over 1800 laboratories worldwide
Fees: No
Notes:
 
Program Name: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), Lipid Standardization Program
Affiliation: Government
Specialties: cholesterol, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)
Frequency: Quarterly
Participants: over 100 laboratories - federally funded and other public health heart-disease epidemiologic and research laboratories.
Fees: Yes
Notes:
 
Program Name: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Newborn Screening Quality Assurance Program, Division of Laboratory Sciences
Affiliation: Government
Specialties: Dried Blood Spot: Newborn Metabolic Screening , Fatty Acid Oxidation Disorders, Organic Acid Disorders, Urea Cycle Disorders, HIV, Sickle Cell Disease and other HemoglobinopathiesSubspecialties: Chemistry - T4, TSH. Hematology - hemoglobinopathies. Immun
Frequency: Quartely Sets: five dried -blood specimens
Participants: 398- National and International laboratories
Fees:
Notes: PT program specifically for dried spots and Newborn Screening
 
Program Name: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Diabetes Autoantibody Standardization Program (DASP)
Affiliation: Government
Specialties: Autoantibodies predictive of type I Diabetes
Frequency: 18 months
Participants: Approximately 67 laboratories world wide
Fees: Yes
Notes: Highly characterized reference materials are prepared to serve as a basis for evaluating new methods and technologies for improving the sensitivity and specificity of predicting and diagnosing type I diabetes.
 
Program Name: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention EQA Program for Neisseria gonorrhoeae Susceptibility Testing
Affiliation: Government
Specialties: Bacteriology - Neisseria gonorrhoeae susceptibility testing
Frequency: One to two events per year
Participants: U.S.Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Program (GISP) laboratories and international reference laboratories
Fees:
Notes:
 
Program Name: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vitamin A Laboratory External Quality Assurance Program (VITAL-EQA)
Affiliation: Government
Specialties: Vitamin A, CRP, iron, and Vitamin B
Frequency: Twice per year
Participants: Approximately 30 laboratories world wide
Fees: No
Notes: Program in collaboration with Wageningen University, Netherlands
 
Program Name: Centers for Disease Control and Prvention (CDC) Laboratory Response Network, Chemical Proficiency Testing Program
Affiliation: Government
Specialties: Metabolites and biomarkers of chemical threat agents
Frequency: Quarterly
Participants: 48 State and County Public Health Laboratories
Fees: Yes
Notes:
 
Program Name: CEQAL
Affiliation:
Specialties: Andrology Chemistry - General, Lipids (lipid reference methods) Hematology, Transfusion Medicine, Clinical Microscopy, Diagnostic Immunology, Microbiology - Bacteriology, Mycobacteriology, Mycology
Frequency:
Participants: 500 - Canada: mandated in 4 provinces, also some US labs
Fees:
Notes:
 
Program Name: CEQAS:Common External Quality Assessment System in Laboratory Medicine
Affiliation: Polish College of Laboratory Medicine: Non profit organization in cooperation with Labquality, Finland
Specialties: Clinical chemistry, Hematology, Immunology, coagulation, Microbiology - bacteriology, virology (Labquality menu)
Frequency:
Participants: 200 - Medical laboratories
Fees: Yes
Notes:
 
Program Name: Citomedia Imagens
Affiliation:
Specialties: Cytology
Frequency:
Participants:
Fees:
Notes: digital pictures sent+L23 via internet
 
Program Name: CLB Viral Diagnostic Laboratory Viral Quality Control (VQC)
Affiliation:
Specialties: HIV-1 RNA (quant); HCV (quant); CMV (quant); Parvovirus B19 (quant); HAV (quant); HSV (quant); Chlamydia trachomatis (quant
Frequency: 1X per year
Participants:
Fees:
Notes:
 
Program Name: Clinical Microbiology Proficiency Testing (CMPT)
Affiliation:
Specialties: Microbiology - Clinical Bacteriology, Gram stain, Mycology, Parasitology, Water Bacteriology
Frequency: 4 send-out per year. Variable number of samples per send-out
Participants: National, some international mandated and voluntary
Fees: Yes
Notes:
 
Program Name: CNEQAS -Chinese National External Quality Assessment Schemes
Affiliation: Government
Specialties: Chemistry - Basic, Enzymes, Lipids, Dry Chemistry, Endocrine, Caredic markers, Tumor markers, Special Protein, Neonatal Screening, Urinalysis Hematology- Basic, Coagulation, Flow Cytometry, Microbiology
Frequency: 2 to 3 times per year, varies by specialty and subspecialty
Participants: National, open voluntary
Fees: Yes
Notes: accredited to ISO Guide 25
 
Program Name: College of American Pathologists - CAP Surveys
Affiliation: Organization: College of American Pathologists
Specialties: Immunohematology Microbiology - Chlamydia trachomatis; Neisseria gonorrhoeae; HCV-RNA (quant); HIV-1 RNA (Quant); ID panel: B. burgdorferi, CMV,HSV, HCV genotping, HCV qual, HIV-1 genotyping, HPV, mecA, molecular typing-bacterial, Mtb Cytology- Genetics -
Frequency: 2 to 3 times per year
Participants:
Fees: Yes
Notes:
 
Program Name: College of American Pathologists - Excel
Affiliation:
Specialties:
Frequency:
Participants:
Fees: Yes
Notes:
 
Program Name: College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta
Affiliation:
Specialties: Hematology- Basic, Coagulation, Immunohematology
Frequency: 6 - 12 challenges per year depending on specialty
Participants: 239 (public and independent)
Fees: Yes
Notes:
 
Program Name: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Limited Survey
Affiliation:
Specialties: Immunology - Inf. Mono., Unirne, pregnancy, H. pylori
Frequency: 3 times per year
Participants: 950 - POL's performing CLIA Waived Tests
Fees: Yes
Notes:
 
Program Name: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Toxicology
Affiliation:
Specialties: Alcohol, Drugs, EP, Lead
Frequency: 3 times per year
Participants: Laboratories approved to perform testing on the citizens of Pennsylvania
Fees: Yes
Notes:
 
Program Name: DEKS, Danish Institute for External Quality Assurance for Laboratories in Health Care
Affiliation:
Specialties: POCT, hematology, selected schemes for clinical chemistry, microbiology
Frequency:
Participants:
Fees:
Notes: website is in Danish - DEKS provides essentially all surveys in Denmark, but most of the schemes are purchased abroad (from Dr. Uldall)
 
Program Name: DGKC - Deutche Gesellschaft fur Klinishe chemie (German Society for Clinical Chemistry)
Affiliation:
Specialties: Chemistry - General, Tumor markers, lipids, urine, blood gases, Tox Immunology - Immunohematology Hematology - Coagulation, Molecular Pathology, Photometer control
Frequency:
Participants:
Fees:
Notes:
 
Program Name: DicoCARE VEQ - Programma di Valutazione Esterna di Qualitita in Medicina di Laboratorio
Affiliation: Commercial
Specialties: Chemistry - Immunoassays, TORCH, allergen specific and total IgE, prenatal markers Immunology, Immunohematology
Frequency: 4 times per year since 1998 (10 schemes in 2001)
Participants: 540- Open Voluntary- Italy plus San Marino and Vatican City
Fees:
Notes: Medical Systems S.p.A. established in 1977, is ISO 9002 certified since 1998 Commercial in vitro diagnostic reagents and systems, pre and post sales assistance and training courses for users of the commercialised systems"
 
Program Name: DigitalPT
Affiliation: Canadian External Quality Assessment Lab.
Specialties: Andrology Chemistry - General, Lipids (lipid reference methods) Hematology, Transfusion Medicine, Clinical Microscopy, Diagnostic Immunology, Microbiology - Bacteriology, Mycobacteriology, Mycology
Frequency:
Participants:
Fees:
Notes:
 
Program Name: ECAT EQAP - European Concerted Action on Thrombosis External Quality Assessment Program
Affiliation:
Specialties: Hematology -Coagulation Genetics - Molecular tests for Thrombosis Molecular biology
Frequency: Coag is 4 times per year and molecular biology 2 times per year
Participants: 325 - (July 2001) Worldwide
Fees: Yes
Notes: This programme started in 1993 as an European EQAS but now operates worldwide. The programme is mainly focused on laboratory tests involved in the screening for thrombophilia.
 
Program Name: EMQN EQA - European Union Molecular Genetics Network
Affiliation:
Specialties: Genetics - in 1999, 6 disease specific schemes Molecular genetics
Frequency:
Participants: In 1999, 251 centers participated from 35 countries - Restricted in 1998 to EU countries
Fees:
Notes:
 
Program Name: EQA-PKU - External Quality Assurance for molecular genetic testing for Phenylketonuria
Affiliation:
Specialties: Chemistry - PKU only
Frequency: New program to begin pilot testing in second half of 2001
Participants: Pilot test with 10-15 European laboratories
Fees:
Notes:
 
Program Name: Eqas AIIMS India
Affiliation:
Specialties: Bacteriology, Hematology
Frequency:
Participants:
Fees:
Notes:
 
Program Name: Eqas Bacteriology Indonesia
Affiliation:
Specialties: Bacteriology
Frequency:
Participants:
Fees:
Notes:
 
Program Name: Eqas Bacteriology Jordan
Affiliation:
Specialties: Bacteriology
Frequency:
Participants:
Fees:
Notes: