The latest Proficiency Testing Programs are now availble in the 2024 PT Catalogue. 

To ensure product availability, orders should be placed no later than December 4, 2023. After this date, due to the number of samples available, surveys are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

IQMH is seeking volunteers to sit on its Proficiency Testing Scientific Committee(s), effective January 2024. Membership on committees consists of a three-year term of office, renewable once. Committees meet an average of four times a year for half-day or full-day meetings.

By Editor on 5/30/2018
By Julie Shaw, Danijela Konforte, Gayle Waite, Michael Knauer and Paul Yip

Introduction
Assays, especially those in clinical chemistry, are designed to measure analytes (i.e., the measurand) in the appropriate patient specimens. However, there is the potential for inaccurate analyte measurements when testing materials are different from patient specimens. Examples include quality control (QC) material, proficiency testing (PT) material, and other types of patient specimens such as body fluids.

IQMH brings together experts in the field of laboratory medicine to elevate confidence in the healthcare system.

The IQMH Proficiency Testing Scientific Committees are composed of physicians, technologists and scientists who provide advice to IQMH regarding the fundamental design of Proficiency Testing surveys and ensure that clinically-relevant selection of challenges and appropriate performance evaluation are developed and implemented each year. IQMH is grateful for the commitment and support of the medical laboratory community and appreciates all the volunteers who donate their time and valuable expertise to our programs.

IQMH Proficiency Testing (PT) programs have been accredited since 2010 by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) to ISO 17043 Conformity assessment — General requirements for proficiency testing.

The assessment was held remotely from April 12^th–14^th with two A2LA assessors (audit team). The programs were thoroughly examined and assessed against 25 categories of technical and management requirements including design of schemes, evaluation of results, document control, confidentiality, and customer service.

An IQMH Proficiency Testing poster titled Comparison of anti-D titre results by conventional tube technique using non-identical versus identical indicator cells through a retrospective review of IQMH surveys was presented at the CSTM Conference 2022 by Chang-Keun (CK) Lee, IQMH Proficiency Testing Consultant Technologist, with the support of the Transfusion Medicine Scientific Committee. 

A 2017 report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information and Choosing Wisely Canada showed that in many clinical areas, up to 30% of tests and treatments are potentially unnecessary. While clinicians ultimately make decisions about which tests and treatments to order based on the assessment of the patient symptoms, many of these decisions can often be influenced by hospital systems and processes that, if outdated, can nudge clinicians toward ordering tests and treatments that do not reflect evidence-based guidelines and practices. This can expose patients to avoidable harm, lengthen wait times, and consume precious hospital resources.

Many of you have been engaged in some part of the laboratory accreditation cycle, whether it be preparing for an upcoming assessment, providing documents, records, objective evidence, investigating, or implementing opportunities for improvement. IQMH is no exception.

IQMH brings together experts in the field of laboratory medicine to elevate confidence in the healthcare system.

The IQMH Proficiency Testing Scientific Committees are composed of physicians, technologists and scientists who provide advice to IQMH regarding the fundamental design of Proficiency Testing surveys and ensure that clinically-relevant selection of challenges and appropriate performance evaluation are developed and implemented each year.

IQMH is grateful for the commitment and support of the medical laboratory community and appreciates all the volunteers who donate their time and valuable expertise to our programs.

It’s our privilege to recognize Dr. Kathy Chun, PhD, FCCMG, FACMG, who has served IQMH as a volunteer since 2004.