Efforts of Fukuoka Association of Medical Technologists in the Chikuho region in external quality control

Abstract

As part of a project of the Fukuoka Association of Medical Technologists in the Chikuho region to improve the quality of tests, 13 facilities in the Chikuho region, which participated in the L-Switroll Survey, were subjected to external qualitiy control. The purpose of this study was to raise the awareness of medical technologists regarding external qualitiy control by deepening their understanding of external quality control from how to view the results and the method of evaluating the results, identifying problems in each facility, and considering the cause of each problems and countermeasures. In this paper, we reports the developments and the results of the activities for correcting the difference among facilities and the direction of continuing this study. The members analyzed were recruited in the Chikuho region, and the concentrations of 27 biochemical items were analyzed twice, and each item was evaluated with ±2SDI. CV% in 13 laboratories was within 5% for the 27 biochemical items. We visited one of the 13 laboratories, where the accuracy rate was low, and developed and implemented measures for the management of reagents and control sera, timing of calibration, and internal quality control. We visited it again to carry out Switroll I and II surveys. Calibration and remeasurement were performed for items whose concentrations were outside the manufacturer’s recommended range. The accuracy rates were 61.5% before the visit, 82.5% before the re-visit calibration, and higher than 90% after the calibration. These results suggested that improvement can be achieved by thoroughly controlling calibration frequency and the number of times. It was effective not only for medical technologists in a laboratory to evaluate each other but also for the regional associations to intervene by visiting laboratories.