Abstract
A summary of the working group discussions on proficiency testing (PT) and external quality assessment (EQA) held at the Eurachem proficiency testing Workshop, Windsor, during September 2023 is provided. The working groups covered a range of issues concerned with current practice and future directions: the revision of ISO/IEC 17043; guidance on different methods for setting the standard deviation for proficiency assessment; collusion or falsification of results in PT/EQA; comparison of synthetic versus real PT items; performance assessment in non-quantitative PT/EQA; and risk analysis approach for PT/EQA participation. The discussions at the working groups were aided by a keynote lecture given on each of the topics on the same day. Delegates from forty-five countries attended the workshop and this diversity of backgrounds was represented on each of the working groups, capturing a range of views and experience from around the world and from a number of different analytical measurement sectors. Most of the working group participants were PT/EQA providers, participants in PT/EQA schemes and representatives of national accreditation bodies, including technical assessors. In addition, delegates from academia, PT/EQA software developers and test kit manufacturers were also present.
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References
ISO, IEC 17043 (2023) Conformity assessment—general requirements for the competence of proficiency testing providers. ISO, Geneva
ISO, IEC 17025 (2017) General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. ISO, Geneva
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ISO 15189 (2022) Medical laboratories—requirements for quality and competence. ISO, Geneva
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Acknowledgements
The authors (who were convenors of the working groups) would like to thank all the attendees at the working groups. The views put forward during the working group discussions which are summarized in this paper do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the authors or their affiliations.
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The authors (who were convenors of the workshop working groups) would like to thank all the attendees at the working groups. The views put forward during the working group discussions which are summarized in this paper do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the authors or their affiliations.
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Brookman, B., Bélavári, C., Butler, O. et al. Proficiency testing in analytical chemistry, microbiology and laboratory medicine: discussions on current practice and future directions. Accred Qual Assur (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00769-024-01588-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00769-024-01588-9