EQA Schemes in Brief

Our EQA schemes are designed to test the whole analytical process of a molecular diagnostics laboratory including the ability to interpret data in the light of clinical information supplied with a referral, and to produce a clear and accurate diagnostic test report.

We usually provide a single round of EQA per year, for each indication. In brief;

  • Laboratories register for schemes and receive 3-4 samples (10 samples for the molecular pathology schemes) once a year with mock clinical referral.
  • Laboratories have 6-10 weeks to perform the analysis and report their findings.
  • Our assessment of results includes genotyping, as well as interpretation and reporting.
  • All results are independently assessed by at least 2 expert peer assessors.
  • Laboratories receive an individual report (called an Individual Laboratory Report – ILR) tailored to them showing any general take home messages and improvement needs, as well as a detailed Scheme Summary Report summarising the scheme.
  • Laboratories can compare (benchmark) their own performance against their peer laboratories.
  • We measure the performance of each laboratory against defined criteria for our Technical, Germline, and Molecular Pathology EQA schemes.
  • All laboratories receive a Certificate of Participation.
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