Related Experiment Videos
External Quality Assessment in Croatia: problems, challenges, and specific circumstances
Jasna Lenicek Krleza1, Ivana Celap2, Jelena Vlasic Tanaskovic3
1Croatian Centre for Quality Assessment in Laboratory Medicine, Croatian Society of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia; Department of Laboratory Diagnostics, Children's Hospital Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
Biochemia Medica
|April 11, 2017
Summary
External quality assessment (EQA) in Croatian medical laboratories, managed by CROQALM, faces challenges like diverse instrumentation and small participant numbers. Despite obstacles, national EQA is vital for standardizing laboratory medicine and ensuring quality recognition.
Area of Science:
- Medical Laboratory Science
- Quality Management in Healthcare
- Clinical Chemistry
Background:
- External quality assessment (EQA) has a long-standing tradition in Croatian medical laboratories.
- The Croatian Centre for Quality Assessment in Laboratory Medicine (CROQALM) provides national EQA services.
- CROQALM is affiliated with the Croatian Society of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine.
Purpose of the Study:
- To outline the primary challenges encountered by CROQALM.
- To propose potential solutions for these identified challenges.
- To highlight the significance of national EQA in laboratory medicine.
Main Methods:
- CROQALM operates 10 schemes covering most authorized analyses, including pre- and post-analytical phases.
- Three assessment exercises are conducted annually, with one sample distributed per scheme and participant.
- Data transfer and result evaluation utilize a web interface and specialized statistical software.
Main Results:
- Challenges include result evaluation issues due to a small number of participants (N=197) and diverse instrument manufacturers, leading to commutability and statistical analysis problems.
- Fewer participants are observed for highly specific parameters typically handled by clinical laboratories.
- Despite challenges, national EQA effectively promotes standardization and harmonization in the total testing process.
Conclusions:
- National EQA is a valuable tool for standardizing and harmonizing laboratory medicine processes in Croatia.
- EQA provides participating laboratories with recognition and validation of their quality standards.
- Addressing challenges is crucial for the continued success and improvement of EQA in the region.