How innovation and science drive the development of EQA

With over 400 ISO17043 accredited EQA programmes, including interpretive EQA, pre- and post-analytical surveillance and EQA for Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) as well as individual competency assessments, UK NEQAS is firmly at the forefront of developing EQA for the UK and internationally. Yet we know that many people are unaware of the process for developing new EQA, what triggers a new EQA, and who is involved. 

Articulating the benefits

Great EQA takes a huge investment of time and knowledge to develop, so the benefits of a new EQA have to be clearly articulated before a new scheme is created. We collaborate and engage with a suite of expert advisors, including clinical staff, advisory board members, scientists and other stakeholders to determine when new EQA is required. Like us, these experts are at the forefront of their work and are aware of what is happening across their specialism. We continuously reflect on potential changes on the horizon such as soon-to-be-approved drugs, new technology, or new guidelines that may necessitate new or modified EQA. This is underpinned by reviewing scientific literature, participating in and delivering conferences and continually observing practices worldwide. Feedback from current users and professional bodies drive continuous improvement and best practice, to assure the development of quality improvement for new processes or practices. Some EQA development is driven by the centres themselves as they see the benefit of introducing a new scheme or reformatting an existing scheme before the users can themselves.