Department of Laboratory Medicine, Inje University, Ilsan Paik Hospital, Goyang, Korea.
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital and College of Medicine, Seongnam, Korea.
Ann Lab Med. 2021 Mar 1;41(2):230-239. doi: 10.3343/alm.2021.41.2.230.
External quality assessment (EQA) is important for evaluating clinical laboratories and enhancing their testing quality. EQA schemes are variable; thus, it is crucial that the EQA organizers share their experiences to continuously improve the EQA scheme. The Korean Association of External Quality Assessment Service (KEQAS) has been the leading, authorized EQA institute for the standardization and quality management of laboratory testing in Korean medical institutions since 1976. The EQA scheme underwent a major change in 2016, and the number of EQA programs increased significantly since then. The key changes implemented in EQA scheme include a fully computerized assessment to accelerate feedback and unification of the testing and reporting methods. We provide an overview of the EQA schemes and performance evaluation criteria of the KEQAS and suggest directions for achieving the global harmonization of EQA.
外部质量评估（EQA）对于评估临床实验室和提高检测质量非常重要。EQA 计划是多种多样的；因此，EQA 组织者分享他们的经验以不断改进 EQA 计划至关重要。自 1976 年以来，韩国外部质量评估服务协会（KEQAS）一直是韩国医疗机构实验室检测标准化和质量管理的领先授权 EQA 机构。EQA 计划在 2016 年进行了重大改革，从那时起，EQA 计划的数量显著增加。EQA 计划中实施的主要变化包括完全计算机化评估，以加速反馈和统一检测和报告方法。我们提供了 KEQAS 的 EQA 计划和绩效评估标准的概述，并为实现 EQA 的全球协调提出了方向。
