Evaluation of 18 quality indicators from the external quality assurance preanalytical programme of the Spanish Society of Laboratory Medicine (SEQC(ML))

OBJECTIVES: Most errors in laboratory medicine occur in the pre- and post-analytical phases of the total testing process (TTP). In 2014, the Spanish Society of Laboratory Medicine (SEQC(ML)) started the current Preanalytical Phase EQA Programme, with the objective of providing a tool for the improvement of the preanalytical phase. The aim of this study was to review the evolution of quality indicators (QI) and the comparability of established performance specifications (PS) with other EQA programmes. METHODS: In the SEQC(ML) programme, participants were asked to register rejections of the main specimens and the causes for rejections. Data collected from 2014 to 2017, and then reviewed biennially (2018–2019), was used to calculate the percentiles; p25, p50, p75, and p90 for every round, and their means were set as PS. These PS were compared with the results of other programmes. RESULTS: The evolution of QI results for 2018–2019 period showed general maintenance or improvement, e.g., a significant decrease in the number of serum samples with a haemolytic index ≥0.5 g/L, except for EDTA and citrate samples handle, maybe for an improvement in detection. The comparison with PS for the QI of the IFCC Working Group “Laboratory Errors and Patient Safety” and the Key Incident Management and Monitoring System (KIMMS) programme of the RCPA showed comparable results, supporting the validity of the established specifications. CONCLUSIONS: The PS obtained are a helpful tool for benchmarking and to identify processes of the preanalytical phase whose improvement should be set as a priority.