External Quality Assessment in Public Hematology Laboratories in the Province of Córdoba, Argentina.

Abstract

Introduction: External quality assessment is a key strategy to ensure the accuracy and precision of laboratory results. This process allows laboratories to demonstrate their competence and receive feedback on the performance of their analytical processes, and also allows the assessment of result comparability across different methods and laboratories. Objectives: To analyze the analytical performance of hematology analyzers in public laboratories within the network of the province of Córdoba, Argentina, and to compare these results against international quality standards and state-of-the-art specifications. Materials and Methods: Forty control sample kits with three concentration levels were distributed to participating laboratories. Results were assessed using statistical tools in accordance with ISO 13528 and compared to international quality requirements. Results: Significant heterogeneity was observed in platelet count results, leading to their exclusion from the analysis. Acceptable analytical performances were found for most laboratories, according to requirements based on biological variation, for white blood cell count, red blood cell count and hemoglobin. For hematocrit and mean corpuscular volume, less than half of the laboratories achieved acceptable performances; however, they showed acceptable performances when evaluated against requirements based on the state of the art. Conclusions: This study demonstrated a satisfactory comparability of results among public hematology laboratories in Córdoba. Participation in external quality assessment programs is crucial to promote continuous improvement and ensure the reliability of laboratory results. The implementation of policies to facilitate access to these tools in the public sector is strongly recommended.