HbA1c: EQA in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands using fresh whole blood samples with target values assigned with the IFCC reference system
AbstractBackground:External quality assessment/proficiency test (EQA/PT) organizers play an important role in monitoring the performance of HbAMethods:Throughout 2015, ten fresh whole blood samples were supplied to the participants. Aggregated results were evaluated according to the IFCC model for quality targets at four levels: overall, per country, per manufacturer, and per country per manufacturer.Results:Robust results in summer and winter demonstrated the feasibility of organizing an EQA with fresh whole blood samples in three countries. The overall performances, as well as the performance for each country were very similar: results fell within the IFCC criteria. Although substantial differences between results from different manufacturers were present, the performances of laboratories using tests of the same manufacturer were strikingly similar in the three countries, suggesting that the quality of HbA