       Document 0018
 DOCN  M9640018
 TI    Characteristics and performance of the external quality assessment
       scheme (EQAS) for haematology in Spain. Ten years of experience.
 DT    9604
 AU    Vives-Corrons JL; Gutierrez G; Jou JM; Reverter JC; Martinez-Brotons F;
       Domingo A; Iriarte JA; Hospital Clinic i Provincial, University of
       Barcelona, Spain.
 SO    Ann Ist Super Sanita. 1995;31(1):95-101. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/96107838
 AB    The external quality assessment scheme for haematology (EQAS-H) in Spain
       started in 1984 with 56 laboratories, being 473 in 1994. Participants
       come from public health services (70%) and from private laboratories
       (30%). Surveys are performed monthly or quarterly depending on the tests
       and on each occasion the following samples are prepared and sent by the
       professional organizing team: human (HIV/HBsAg free) or equine whole
       blood for cell counts (erythrocytes and leucocyte), platelet suspensions
       for platelet counts, lyophilized plasmas for prothrombin time (PT),
       partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen (F) and antithrombin III
       (ATIII), and blood films for cell morphology and reticulocyte counts. In
       1992 a new scheme on oral anticoagulant treatment control (OATC) has
       been established jointly by the Spanish Haematology Association (AEHH)
       and the Spanish Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis (SETH). After
       preparation, the control material is sent to participants in the scheme
       where the requested tests are performed and the results reported back to
       the organizer (Haematology Laboratory Department of Hospital Clinic i
       Provincial) for statistical analysis. For evaluating the results,
       laboratories are divided into four to eight groups depending on the
       methodologies used. Individual results are assessed against a consensus
       value (mean) and a deviation index (DI) from the mean, and the
       coefficient of variation (CV), Youden plots and other statistical
       information are provided for all results and groups of each parameter.
       More than 80% of laboratories responded regularly (up to 6 trials) for
       blood counts and haemoglobin and compared to the previous year (1984),
       the values of CV(%) improved significantly for RBC count (from 3.3 to
       2.2%), haemoglobin (from 2.7 to 2.1%) and platelet count (from 22.6 to
       16.3%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
 DE    Hematologic Tests/STATISTICS & NUMER DATA/*STANDARDS  Human
       Laboratories, Hospital/STANDARDS  Quality Assurance, Health
       Care/*ORGANIZATION & ADMIN/STATISTICS &  NUMER DATA  Quality Control
       Spain  Support, Non-U.S. Gov't  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

