“An inaccurate or unreliable test result is worse than no result at all.”
In POCT, Quality Control (QC) and External Quality Assessment (EQA) play distinct roles, both crucial for ensuring the accuracy and reliability of test results. Here’s a breakdown of their differences:
| QC | EQA | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Ensures proper test functioning daily. | Assesses accuracy over time. |
| Frequency | Daily or with each batch. | Periodically (e.g., quarterly) |
| Responsibility | Internal (on-site staff) | External agency or provider, ran by ward staff or POCT in some cases. |
| Scope | Individual device/system | Multi-site/system comparison |
| Focus | Immediate testing reliability. | Long-term accuracy & comparability. |
| Example | Control samples on a glucose meter. | Quarterly glucose samples, provided by external quality assurance programme, ran by ward users. |
In short, QC ensures daily reliability, whilst EQA provides assurance of long-term accuracy and standardisation across testing environments. Both are complementary and essential for maintaining high-quality POCT testing.
The POCT team oversees the management and distribution of EQA for all POCT equipment used across hospitals, community units, and satellite locations.
Some EQA testing is performed directly by the POCT team.
In other cases, EQA samples are distributed to clinical departments and must be analysed by trained operators.
This ensures consistency, accuracy, and high-quality patient testing across all locations.