Laboratory Medicine and Quality Assurance

Table. 2.

Quality specifications, laboratory results, and performance level of preanalytical quality indicators

KEQAS no. Preanalytical quality indicator IFCC code IFCC QS Laboratory results (%) Sigma value, 50% IFCC QS-based performance level (% of laboratories) Sigma-based performance level
High (≥) Medium (between) Low (≤) 25th 50th 75th High Medium Low
1 Misidentification errors Pre-MisS 0 0–0.040 0.04 0.001 0.002 0.006 5.64 35.71 64.29 0.00 Very good
2 Test cancellation rate NA NA NA NA 0.149 0.349 0.601 4.20 NA NA NA Good
3 Hemolyzed samples detected by visual inspection Pre-HemV 0.11 0.110–1.105 1.105 0.129 0.309 0.832 4.24 71.43 28.57 0.00 Good
4 Hemolyzed samples detected by hemolytic index Pre-HemI 0.69 0.690–3.230 3.23 0.100 0.546 2.131 4.16 47.62 52.38 0.00 Good
5 Rejected samples due to hemolysis Pre-HemR 0.049 0.049–0.882 0.882 0.007 0.197 0.712 4.38 95.24 4.76 0.00 Good
6 Recollected samples due to hemolysis NA NA NA NA 0.003 0.063 0.494 4.74 NA NA NA Good
7 Incorrect fill level Pre-InsV 0.02 0.020–0.140 0.14 0.017 0.043 0.085 4.83 90.48 9.52 0.00 Good
8 Inappropriate sample-anticoagulant volume ratio Pre-SaAnt 0.07 0.070-0.770 0.77 0.046 0.292 0.537 4.26 88.10 11.90 0.00 Good
9 Clotted CBC samples PreClot 0.08 0.08–0.402 0.402 0.085 0.299 0.432 4.25 92.86 7.14 0.00 Good
10 Incorrect sample type (wrong container) Pre-WroCo 0.01 0.010-0.024 0.024 0.004 0.014 0.022 5.14 88.10 11.90 0.00 Very good
11 Recollected samples (due to errors caused inside the laboratory) Out-RecLab NA NA NA 0.000 0.003 0.030 5.53 NA NA NA Very good
12 Recollected samples (due to errors caused outside the laboratory) Out-RecOff NA NA NA 0.000 0.009 0.178 5.24 NA NA NA Very good
13 Unsuitable samples for damage during transportation Pre-DamS 0 0–0 0 0.000 0.000 0.001 6.00 40.48 59.52 0.00 Very good
14 Unsuitable samples for excessive transportation time Pre-ExcTim 0 0–0 0 0.013 0.475 6.476 4.73 2.38 97.62 0.00 Good
15 Incorrect sample type (wrong or inappropriate matrix) Pre-WroTy 0.002 0.002–0.021 0.021 0.001 0.006 0.013 5.36 64.29 35.71 0.00 Very good
16 Samples not received Pre-NotRec 0.09 0.090–0.889 0.889 0.000 0.000 0.001 6.00 40.48 59.52 0.00 Very good
17 Contaminated samples (excluding microbiological samples) Pre-Cont 0.01 0.010–0.070 0.07 0.000 0.000 0.002 6.00 52.38 47.62 0.00 Very good
18 Samples transported at inappropriate temperature Pre-InTem 0 0–1.260 1.26 0.000 0.000 0.526 5.93 14.29 85.71 0.00 Very good
19 Samples collected at inappropriate time of sample collection Pre-InTime 0* 0–0.346* 0.346* 0.000 0.002 0.014 5.66 14.29 85.71 0.00 Very good
20 Unsuitable samples for storage problems (temperature, time, etc.) Pre-NotSt 0 0–0.004 0.004 0.000 0.000 0.001 5.95 19.05 80.95 0.00 Very good
21 Samples with inappropriate fasting NA NA NA NA 0.000 0.004 0.010 5.47 NA NA NA Very good
22 Samples with fibrin clot NA NA NA NA 0.001 0.007 0.059 5.35 NA NA NA Very good
23 Samples with reprinted barcode NA NA NA NA 0.003 0.054 0.246 4.80 NA NA NA Good

Abbreviations: KEQAS, Korean Association of External Quality Assessment Service; IFCC, International Federation of Clinical Chemistry; QS, quality specification; NA, not available; CBC, complete blood count.

*The quality specification for samples collected at an inappropriate time (IFCC code, Pre-InTime) was adopted from the 2015 data of the Model of Quality Indicators project.

Lab Med Qual Assur 2024;46:145~155 https://doi.org/10.15263/jlmqa.2024.46.3.145
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