Quality Control Program and Its Results of Korean Society for Cytopathologists

Abstract

In Korea, the quality control(QC) program forcytopathology was introduced in 1995. The program consists of a checklist for the cytolopathology departments, analysis data on all the participating institutions' QC data, including the annual data on cytologic examinations, the distribution of the gynecological cytologic diagnoses, as based on The Bethesda System 2001, and the data on cytologic-histolgical correlation of the gynecological field, and an evaluation for diagnostic accuracy. The diagnostic accuracy program has been performed 3 times per year with using gynecological, body fluid and fine needle aspiration cytologic slides. We report here on the institutional QC data and the evaluation for diagnostic accuracy since 2004, and also on the new strategy for quality control and assurance in the cytologic field. The diagnostic accuracy results of both the participating institutions and the QC committee were as follows; Category 0 and A: about 94%, Category B: 4-5%, Category C: less than 2%. As a whole, the cytologic daignostic accuracy is relatively satisfactory. In 2008, on site evaluation for pathology and cytology laboratories, as based on the "Quality Assurance Program for Pathology Services" is now going on, and a new method using virtual slides or image files for determining the diagnostic accuracy will be performed in November 2008.