[Intention and Current Situation of External Quality Assurance Program Supervised by the Japan Medical Association]

The Japan Medical Association (JMA) has provided the external quality assurance (EQA) program in clinical laboratory testing. About 3,200 clinical laboratories recently participated. The EQA program shows us the current situation of clinical laboratory testing as well as the evaluation of each clinical laboratory. Moreover, it aims for the harmonization of clinical laboratory testing, resulting in common objective data, common diagnostic criteria, and medical standardization. The EQA program examines and educates regarding the measurement method (JSCC transferable method or not), analyzer, reagent, traceability, calibrator, unit, temperature, cut-off value, and lower decision limit, in order to strengthen the foundation of clinical laboratories. Clinical laboratory testing consists of pre-pre-analytical, pre-analytical, analytical, post-analytical, and post-post-analytical phases. The EQA program investigates not only the analytical phase but also a part of pre-analytical and post-analytical phases. We should know that the role of a clinical laboratory is not just analysis or measurement. It is truly expected that we will earnestly participate in the EQA program to check the validity of our own ordinary and not champion results, and to understand the harmonization of total laboratory testing phases.