External Quality Assessment Scheme for Transfusion Transmissible Infections Among Blood Service Facilities in the Philippines, 2017

The External Quality Assessment Scheme (EQAS) evaluates the performance of participating laboratories through an external agency by which known blinded samples are sent to participants for analysis, and their performance evaluated and monitored. The Transfusion Transmissible Infections – National Reference Laboratory provides an external quality assessment scheme for transfusion transmissible infections to blood service facilities in the Philippines with the aim of raising the standards of quality testing in infectious diseases in blood units and as a mandatory requirement in the licensing of laboratories. In the 2017 test event, 180 participants were given an EQAS panel composed of the HVHT4120 serology program and the MLRA415 malaria program. Results were submitted through an online informatics system managed by OneWorld Accuracy Canada using the ISO 13528:2008 Robust Statistics method (Huber’s Method). Results were analyzed and evaluated with the reference result of the NRL to which non-concordant results would be marked aberrant. From the 14,392 generated results from the HVHT4120 program and 885 generated results from the MLRA415 program, 51 (0.35%) results and 86 (9.72%) results were reported as aberrant respectively. The aberrant results reported were either due to random or systematic errors. Analyzed data from this test event are used for the continuous improvement of their competencies and the renewal of their license to operate as required by the Department of Health.