Lab Med Qual Assur.  2021 Mar;43(1):1-8. 10.15263/jlmqa.2021.43.1.1.

Annual Report of the Korean Association of External Quality Assessment Service on Routine Hematology (2020)

• Jeon K
• Kim YM
• Lee YK
• on behalf of the Routine Hematology Program of Korean Association of External Quality Assessment Service

• KMID: 2514595
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.15263/jlmqa.2021.43.1.1

Abstract

Two trials were conducted with proficiency tests for complete blood count (CBC) and blood cell morphology as part of the 2020 Routine Hematology Program of the Korean Association of External Quality Assessment Service (KAEQAS). Three different control samples were sent for CBC testing, and two blood cell morphology images were posted on the KAEQAS website during each trial. The mean response rates of the 1,790 participating laboratories were 98.8% and 34.7% for CBC testing and blood cell morpholog y, respectively. The distribution of equipment for CBC testing was comparable to that of the previous year. The coefficient of variation (CV) ranges were determined as 2.9%–3.5%, 1.8%–2.8%, 1.4%–2.8%, 4.6%–5.5%, and 5.2%–7.9% for white blood cell counts, red blood cell counts, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelet counts, respectively. The concordance rate of blood cell morphology tests ranged from 58.8% to 99.2%. In 2020, the number of participating laboratories was higher than that in 2019. The CVs of CBC results in 2020 were similar to those of 2019.

Keyword

Laboratory proficiency testing; Blood cell count; Blood cell morphology