Behind the scenes of EQA - characteristics, capabilities, benefits and assets of external quality assessment (EQA)
Abstract
This is the first in a series of five papers that detail the role and substantial impact that external quality assessment (EQA) and their providers' services play in ensuring in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) performance quality. The aim is to give readers and users of EQA services an insight into the processes in EQA, explain to them what happens before EQA samples are delivered and after examination results are submitted to the provider, how they are assessed, what benefits participants can expect, but also who are stakeholders other than participants and what significance do EQA data and assessment results have for them. This first paper presents the history of EQA, insights into legal, financing and ethical matters, information technology used in EQA, structure and lifecycle of EQA programs, frequency and intensity of challenges, and unique requirements of extra-examination and educational EQA programs.
Author
Buchta, Christoph
Marrington, Rachel
De la Salle, Barbara
Albarède, Stéphanie
Badrick, Tony
Bietenbeck, Andreas
Bullock, David
Cadamuro, Janne
Delatour, Vincent
Dusinovic, Enes
Geilenkeuser, Wolf-Jochen
Gidske, Gro
Griesmacher, Andrea
Haliassos, Alexander
Holzhauser, Derek
Huggett, Jim F
Karathanos, Serafeim
Pezzati, Paola
Sandberg, Sverre
Sarkar, Aditi
Solsvik, Anne Elisabeth
Spannagl, Michael
Thelen, Marc
Restelli, Veronica
Perrone, Lucy A
Marrington, Rachel
De la Salle, Barbara
Albarède, Stéphanie
Badrick, Tony
Bietenbeck, Andreas
Bullock, David
Cadamuro, Janne
Delatour, Vincent
Dusinovic, Enes
Geilenkeuser, Wolf-Jochen
Gidske, Gro
Griesmacher, Andrea
Haliassos, Alexander
Holzhauser, Derek
Huggett, Jim F
Karathanos, Serafeim
Pezzati, Paola
Sandberg, Sverre
Sarkar, Aditi
Solsvik, Anne Elisabeth
Spannagl, Michael
Thelen, Marc
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, Marrington R, De la Salle B, Albarède S, Badrick T, Bietenbeck A, Bullock D, Cadamuro J, Delatour V, Dusinovic E, Geilenkeuser WJ, Gidske G, Griesmacher A, Haliassos A, Holzhauser D, Huggett JF, Karathanos S, Pezzati P, Sandberg S, Sarkar A, Solsvik AE, Spannagl M, Thelen M, 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):844-858. doi: 10.1515/cclm-2024-1289.
Journal / Source Title
Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine
DOI
10.1515/cclm-2024-1289
PMID
39753377
Publisher
Walter De Gruyte
Publisher’s URL
https://www.degruyterbrill.com/journal/key/cclm/html