Importance of the periodic participation of HIV testing laboratories in the External Quality Program – HIV EQA

Abstract

 External Quality Assessment Program is destined to assist the participants  in monitoring the accuracy of their laboratory results, and for providing the  high quality services which are offered to the population. This study aimed at  demonstrating the importance of constant participation in the external quality  assessment programs for HIV diagnostic laboratories. From April/2014 to  October/2015, 19 laboratories participated in the Instituto Adolfo Lutz –  External Quality Assessment Program for HIV serological assays (EQA HIV -  IAL). In this period of time, four rounds/year of this Program were performed,  and the serum panels (test items) were characterized for anti-HIV antibody  reactivity status by using different immunodiagnostic testing approaches.  The characterized samples panels were sent to the participating laboratories.  Every participant laboratory analyzed these test items by using the anti-  HIV serological assays employed in the respective routine procedures. Of  15 laboratories that actually perform the screening tests, nine were certified  with 100% approval in two consecutive years, and the most unsatisfactory  results occurred in 2015. In the first year of this study, of 17 participants in the  confirmatory trials, 88.2% showed annual satisfactory performance; however,  in 2015 this rate fell off to 59%. The steady participation in the External  Quality Assessment Programs enables the participant laboratories technicians  to investigate the variability in test performance for the long term, and to take  measures over for ensuring the quality of services in their laboratories.