[The Significance and Efforts to Promote External Quality Control Surveys and Skills Tests--Chairmen's Introductory...

Not only is the role of "clinical testing" becoming increasingly important in diagnosis, but also the accurate management of clinical testing is growing in significance in order to examine "the reliability of data" obtained from such testing. For the purpose of assuring the reliability of data based on international conformity associated with an increase in global clinical trials, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare advocates appropriate accuracy management, involving certification by a third party. Regardless of clinical trials, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare states that the accurate management of a standard laboratory test is also a critically important issue. The value of clinical testing is fundamental to offering reliable clinical test data for clinical practice, and the mission of a clinical test department is to embody the principal of accuracy assurance and reflect it in routine clinical testing. Concerning external quality control surveys and skills tests in Japan, we asked both test sponsors and examinees to provide opinions on survey efforts, the purpose of participation, etc.