|
Review of Proficiency Testing Services for Clinical Laboratories in the United
States – Final Report of a Technical Working Group
In 2006, DLS assembled a Working Group to assess the effectiveness of clinical laboratory
proficiency testing (PT) for regulatory, educational, and quality improvement purposes.
Membership of the Proficiency Testing Working Group (PTWG)
included PT users, PT providers, and representatives of accrediting organizations, but members were chosen
for their expertise in PT and not as representatives of their employers, professional organizations, or
trade associations. DLS representatives charged the PTWG to accomplish four primary objectives:
- Report on the status of current clinical PT programs in the US, assessing the success of PT in improving the quality of clinical testing and identifying areas in which improvements are needed.
- Make recommendations for improving the effectiveness of PT in meeting regulatory, educational, and quality improvement objectives.
- Solicit and consider input from stakeholders including PT providers, PT users in several types of clinical laboratories, and accrediting organizations. Assess the feasibility of recommended changes.
- Identify needed improvements to PT that could be addressed during the next five years.
In response to a series of questions posed by DLS management, the PTWG sought input from stakeholders and formulated recommendations to CDC. Battelle, as CDC’s contractor, drafted the final report, which was reviewed by PTWG members. Recommendations reflect the majority views of the Work Group, but not formal consensus.
Final Report Executive Summary
Proficiency Testing Working Group Final Report
|