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Behind the scenes of EQA – characteristics, capabilities, benefits and assets of external quality assessment (EQA)

This is a five-part series of articles describing principles, practices and benefits of External Quality Assessment (EQA) of the clinical laboratory. Part I describes the historical, legal, and ethical background of EQA and the properties of individual programs. Part II deals with crucial properties of EQA cycles. Part III is focused on the characteristics of EQA samples. Part IV summarizes the benefits for participant laboratories, and Part V addresses the broad benefits of EQA for stakeholders other than participants.

All parts are publicly available at CCLM and have been written jointly by a number of EQA providers, including Birmingham Quality (UK NEQAS)

• Editorial – Are the benefits of External Quality Assessment (EQA) recognized beyond the echo chamber?

  Access available at https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/cclm-2025-0020/html 

• Part I – EQA in general and EQA programs in particular

  Access available at https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/cclm-2024-1289/html 

• Part II – EQA cycles

  Access available at https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/cclm-2024-1290/html 

• Part III – EQA samples

  Access available at https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/cclm-2024-1291/html 

• Part IV – EQA benefits for participant laboratories

  Access available at https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/cclm-2024-1292/html 

• Part V – EQA benefits for stakeholders other than participants

  Access available at https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/cclm-2024-1293/html 

Variation in liver function testing and the effect of pyridoxal-5-phosphate on ALT, AST and FIB-4 results

Access available at Variation in liver function testing and the effect of pyridoxal-5-phosphate on ALT, AST and FIB-4 results - Charlotte Evans, Finlay MacKenzie, Rachel Marrington, 2024 (sagepub.com)

UK Safety Alert regarding measurement of kidney function: standardising kidney measurements across the UK

Access available at https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/epub/10.12968/jokc.2024.9.3.120

Understanding the limitations of your assay using EQA data with serum creatinine as an example

Full access available at the limitations of your assay using EQA data with serum creatinine as an example (degruyter.com)

Comparisons of real versus synthetic proficiency testing items

Full access available at https://rdcu.be/dCbEo

Standardising the biochemical confirmation of adult male hypogonadism; a joint position statement by the Society for Endocrinology and Association of Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine

Access available at Standardising the biochemical confirmation of adult male hypogonadism; a joint position statement by the Society for Endocrinology and Association of Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine (sagepub.com)

Artificially raised creatinine concentrations due to analytical interference for samples contaminated with total parenteral nutrition fluid

Access available at Artificially raised creatinine concentrations due to analytical interference for samples contaminated with total parenteral nutrition fluid – Jinny Jeffery, Helen Millar, Rachel Marrington, Finlay MacKenzie, Roanna George, 2024 (sagepub.com)

National recommendations to standardise acute kidney injury detection and alerting

Access available at National recommendations to standardise acute kidney injury detection and alerting – Rachel Marrington, Anna L Barton, Alexandra Yates, William McKane, Nicholas M Selby, Jonathan S Murray, James F Medcalf, Finlay MacKenzie, Martin Myers, 2023 (sagepub.com)

Variation of eGFR reporting and CKD equations used in the United Kingdom

Access available at Variation of eGFR reporting and CKD equations used in the United Kingdom – Rachel Marrington, Finlay MacKenzie, 2023 (sagepub.com)