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Buchta C, Zeichhardt H, Aberle SW, Camp JV, Görzer I, Weseslindtner L, Puchhammer-Stöckl E, Huf W, Benka B, Allerberger F, Mielke M, Griesmacher A, Müller MM, Schellenberg I, Kammel M. Design of external quality assessment schemes and definition of the roles of their providers in future epidemics. THE LANCET. MICROBE 2023; 4:e552-e562. [PMID: 37156257 PMCID: PMC10162712 DOI: 10.1016/s2666-5247(23)00072-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
During an epidemic, individual test results form the basis of epidemiological indicators such as case numbers or incidence. Therefore, the accuracy of measures derived from these indicators depends on the reliability of individual results. In the COVID-19 pandemic, monitoring and evaluating the performance of the unprecedented number of testing facilities in operation, and novel testing systems in use, was urgently needed. External quality assessment (EQA) schemes are unique sources of data reporting on testing performance, and their providers are recognised contacts and support for test facilities (for technical-analytical topics) and health authorities (for planning the monitoring of infection diagnostics). To identify information provided by SARS-CoV-2 genome detection EQA schemes that is relevant for public health microbiology, we reviewed the current literature published in PubMed between January, 2020, and July, 2022. We derived recommendations for EQA providers and their schemes for best practices to monitor pathogen-detection performance in future epidemics. We also showed laboratories, test facilities, and health authorities the information and benefits they can derive from EQA data, and from the non-EQA services of their providers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Buchta
- Austrian Association for Quality Assurance and Standardization of Medical and Diagnostic Tests, Vienna, Austria; European Organisation for External Quality Assurance Providers in Laboratory Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Heinz Zeichhardt
- INSTAND eV Society for Promoting Quality Assurance in Medical Laboratories, Düsseldorf, Germany; IQVD GmbH, Institut für Qualitätssicherung in der Virusdiagnostik, Berlin, Germany; GBD Gesellschaft für Biotechnologische Diagnostik, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stephan W Aberle
- Center for Virology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jeremy V Camp
- Center for Virology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Irene Görzer
- Center for Virology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Wolfgang Huf
- Karl Landsteiner Institute for Clinical Risk Management, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernhard Benka
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Martin Mielke
- Department for Infectious Diseases, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andrea Griesmacher
- Austrian Association for Quality Assurance and Standardization of Medical and Diagnostic Tests, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mathias M Müller
- Austrian Association for Quality Assurance and Standardization of Medical and Diagnostic Tests, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ingo Schellenberg
- INSTAND eV Society for Promoting Quality Assurance in Medical Laboratories, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Martin Kammel
- INSTAND eV Society for Promoting Quality Assurance in Medical Laboratories, Düsseldorf, Germany; IQVD GmbH, Institut für Qualitätssicherung in der Virusdiagnostik, Berlin, Germany; GBD Gesellschaft für Biotechnologische Diagnostik, Berlin, Germany
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