Overview of Proficiency Testing
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What is Proficiency Testing? Proficiency testing comprises an interlaboratory system for the regular testing of the accuracy that the participant laboratories can achieve. In its usual form, the organizers of the scheme distribute portions of a homogeneous material to each the participants, who analyze the material under typical conditions and report the result to the organizers. The organizers compile the results and inform the participants of the outcome, usually in the form of a score relating to the accuracy of the result.
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Why is PT Important? PT is important because it is a tool the laboratory can use to verify the accuracy and reliability of its testing. Routine reviews of PT reports by the laboratory staff and director will alert them to areas of testing that are not performing as expected and also indicate subtle shifts and trends that, over time, would affect their patient results.
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Elements of Proficiency Testing The use of internal quality control The use of validated analytical methods The use of certified reference material Participation in proficiency testing shames Accreditation to an appropriate quality standard
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Procedures of Proficiency Testing Clinical Sections that are required to perform proficiency testing should establish procedures for testing survey samples / cases. The following general procedures should be followed: Proficiency Survey samples are to be handled in the same manner as patient samples as much as possible. If accessioning survey cases in the Laboratory Information System is possible and is important for analysis on instrumentation, cases should be accessioned in Soft path. Proficiency samples should be tested in accordance with the associated instructions provided for each survey set. The laboratory should adhere or other survey vendor, provided testing instructions for each survey submitted for analysis. These instructions address proper specimen handling, storage, testing limitations or special instructions, reporting criteria, and instructions for submitting results. Testing should be completed by the provider’s due date. This is to ensure meeting grading criteria, but also to ensure specimen integrity. The immediately notified if there are any problems with the material or any issue that will delay testing or result reporting. www.Globalptservices.com
Benefits of Proficiency Testing Comparison of a facility’s performance with that of other participating facilities Monitoring of a long-term facility performance Improvement in the performance of tests/calibrations following investigation and identification of the cause of unsatisfactory PT performance, and the introduction of corrective action to prevent reoccurrence Staff education, training and competence monitoring Evaluation of methods, including the establishment of method precision and accuracy Estimation of measurement uncertainty Contribution to the facility’s overall risk management system Confidence building with interested parties, e.g. customers, accreditation bodies, regulators, specifies
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Limitation of Proficiency Testing Proficiency testing has to be carried out within the context of a complete system for appropriate quality in each laboratory. It cannot be used a substitute for routine internal quality control. It is not a means of training individual analysts, or a way of validating analytical methods. Proficiency testing provides a participant laboratory only with an indication of problems if they are present. It does not provide any diagnostics to help solve the problem. Success in a proficiency test for one analyze does not indicate that a laboratory is equally competent in determining an unrelated analyze.
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Thank You‌ For more information about Proficiency Testing and upcoming PT programs at GPTS, visit our website www.Globalptservices.com
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