PMID: 9448012Feb 3, 1998Paper

Proficiency testing in laboratory medicine: uses and limitations

Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
S Shahangian

Abstract

To provide a critical review of recently published literature on the effectiveness, uses, and limitations of proficiency testing (PT) as a mechanism for laboratory improvement, and to explore ways to improve the PT process. All publications identified by a MEDLINE search of the literature dating back to 1987 on the subject of "proficiency testing" in laboratory medicine, as well as selected references cited in recent review articles. No specific selection criteria were used for inclusion of publications identified by the MEDLINE database as long as they dealt with PT as a mechanism of medical laboratory improvement or a measure of laboratory performance. Abstractions of data were made depending on relevance of the data. Proficiency testing data are an indicator, but not a measure, of laboratory performance. Limitations of current PT practices are incomplete assessment of the total testing process, PT materials being treated differently than those from patients, PT performance criteria, and "matrix effect." Proficiency testing performance has been related to length of PT experience, test environment and volume, institutional size, laboratory and analyst workload, difficulty of PT materials, performing quality control, testing me...Continue Reading

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