Harmonization and transferability of performance assessment: experience from four serum aluminum proficiency testing schemes |
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Authors: | Josiane Arnaud Isabelle Coté Patrick J. Parsons Marina Patriarca Andrew Taylor Cas Weykamp |
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Affiliation: | 1. Département de Biochimie, Toxicologie et Pharmacologie, CHU de Grenoble, Grenoble, France 2. Centre de Toxicologie, Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec, Quebec, Canada 3. Laboratory of Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry, New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center, Albany, NY, USA 4. Department of Public Veterinary Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy 5. Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, UK 6. MCA Laboratory, Queen Beatrix Hospital, Winterswijk, The Netherlands
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Abstract: | Proficiency testing schemes monitor laboratory performance and provide a stimulus for improvement in accuracy. Where several schemes operate in the same analytical sector, there are risks that assessments of performance may be in conflict. Performance assessment for the determination of trace elements such as aluminum in serum is particularly important due to the high risk of contamination and therefore erroneous results. The objectives of this work were (1) to compare several mathematical models to establish a predefined standard deviation for proficiency assessment and (2) to evaluate the influence of instrumental methods and proficiency testing scheme on the assessment of performance for serum aluminum measurements. For this purpose, three samples were sent to the participants of four proficiency testing schemes. Assigned values were calculated according to algorithm A according to ISO 13528 and standard deviation for proficiency assessment according to three methods based on individual variability, state of the art or previous proficiency testing results. The method based on individual variability produced a more stringent standard deviation compared to analytical imprecision based on the state of the art. The instrumental methods gave similar results, whereas significant differences were observed between the four proficiency testing schemes indicating that harmonization of the standard deviation for proficiency assessment fails to allow transferability from one proficiency testing scheme to another and that additional factor(s) contribute to variability in performance assessment. |
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