Annual Report of the Korean Association of External Quality Assessment Service on General Chemistry (2018)

ABSTRACT

In 2018, the general chemistry proficiency testing program of the Korean Association of External Quality Assessment Service consisted of the routine chemistry and urine chemistry programs including 32 and 13 test items, respectively. The test method classification system was revised in the routine chemistry program, and a qualitative test of human chorionic gonadotropin was added in the urine chemistry program. The routine chemistry program was conducted 4 times a year, while the urine chemistry program was conducted twice a year. Statistical analysis data for the test method and reagent companies were reported based on the information and results of the test items provided by each institution. Statistics included the number of participating institutes, mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variation (CV), median, and minimum and maximum values for each group. Each report included tables, histograms, Levey-Jennings charts, and the standard deviation index showing the statistics of each test item. In the routine chemistry program, more than 1,000 institutions performed the 17 test items, and the number is continuously increasing. CV for each test item showed a tendency to increase with decreasing concentration of the proficiency material but was within 10% in most cases. Alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase were found to have relatively high CVs because of the differences in results among test methods. In the urine chemistry program, albumin and protein showed high CVs, and the distribution of the test method was different from that of the routine chemistry program.