Behind the scenes of EQA-characteristics, capabilities, benefits and assets of external quality assessment (EQA)
Abstract
The main stakeholders in external quality assessment (EQA) programs are the participants, in whose interests these challenges are ultimately organised. EQA schemes in the medical field contribute to improving the quality of patient care by evaluating the analytical and diagnostic quality of laboratory and point-of-care tests (POCT) by independent third parties and, if necessary, pointing out erroneous measurement results and analytical or diagnostic improvement potential. Other benefits include the option of using EQA samples for other important laboratory procedures, such as the verification or validation of in vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVD-MDs), a contribution to the estimation of measurement uncertainty, a means of training and educating laboratory staff through educational EQA programmes or samples, or even for independent and documented monitoring of staff competence, such as on samples with unusual or even exceptional characteristics. Participation in an EQA scheme for beneficiaries like medical, microbiological and histo- and molecular pathology laboratories, users of POCT and self-testing systems as well as National Metrology Institutes, calibration laboratories and reference laboratories that are dedicated to specific tasks and have particular expectations of the EQA scheme are presented here.
Author
Buchta, Christoph
De la Salle, Barbara
Marrington, Rachel
Albarède, Stéphanie
Badrick, Tony
Bicker, Wolfgang
Bietenbeck, Andreas
Bullock, David
Delatour, Vincent
Dequeker, Elisabeth
Flasch, Mira
Geilenkeuser, Wolf-Jochen
van Hellemond, Jaap
Huggett, Jim F
Ianovska, Viktoriia
Kaiser, Patricia
Kammel, Martin
Kessler, Anja
Laudus, Nele
Luppa, Peter B
Morandi, Pierre-Alain
O'Connor, Gavin
Panteghini, Mauro
Pezzati, Paola
Rosendahl, Jennifer
Sandberg, Sverre
Scheiblauer, Heinrich
Skitek, Milan
Spannagl, Michael
Stavelin, Anne
Thelen, Marc
Unterberger, Ursula
Zeichhardt, Heinz
Restelli, Veronica
Perrone, Lucy A
De la Salle, Barbara
Marrington, Rachel
Albarède, Stéphanie
Badrick, Tony
Bicker, Wolfgang
Bietenbeck, Andreas
Bullock, David
Delatour, Vincent
Dequeker, Elisabeth
Flasch, Mira
Geilenkeuser, Wolf-Jochen
van Hellemond, Jaap
Huggett, Jim F
Ianovska, Viktoriia
Kaiser, Patricia
Kammel, Martin
Kessler, Anja
Laudus, Nele
Luppa, Peter B
Morandi, Pierre-Alain
O'Connor, Gavin
Panteghini, Mauro
Pezzati, Paola
Rosendahl, Jennifer
Sandberg, Sverre
Scheiblauer, Heinrich
Skitek, Milan
Spannagl, Michael
Stavelin, Anne
Thelen, Marc
Unterberger, Ursula
Zeichhardt, Heinz
Restelli, Veronica
Perrone, Lucy A
Date
2025-01-06
Type
Article
Subject
Health services. Management, Public health. Health statistics. Occupational health. Health education
Collections
Citation
Buchta C, De la Salle B, Marrington R, Albarède S, Badrick T, Bicker W, Bietenbeck A, Bullock D, Delatour V, Dequeker E, Flasch M, Geilenkeuser WJ, van Hellemond J, Huggett JF, Ianovska V, Kaiser P, Kammel M, Kessler A, Laudus N, Luppa PB, Morandi PA, O'Connor G, Panteghini M, Pezzati P, Rosendahl J, Sandberg S, Scheiblauer H, Skitek M, Spannagl M, Stavelin A, Thelen M, Unterberger U, Zeichhardt H, Restelli V, Perrone LA. Behind the scenes of EQA-characteristics, capabilities, benefits and assets of external quality assessment (EQA). Clin Chem Lab Med. 2025 Jan 6;63(5):879-897. doi: 10.1515/cclm-2024-1292.
Journal / Source Title
Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine
DOI
10.1515/cclm-2024-1292
PMID
39754494
Publisher
Walter De Gruyter
Publisher’s URL
https://www.degruyterbrill.com/journal/key/cclm/html