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       Procedure for Storage, Preparation, Analysis, Result submission, RCA & Modification in EQAS

Purpose and objectives The purpose of this Policy is to ensure appropriate Implementation of EQAS.

Responsibilities Technicians and residents are responsible for analyzing EQA samples. Residents are responsible for monthly data analysis of EQA and root cause analysis in case of outliers. Section Incharge is responsible for implementation of this procedure, evaluation The Quality Manager is also responsible to ensure that proficiency-testing samples are not referred to another lab and that there is no communication with other laboratories with regard to proficiency testing results prior to its submission until the submitted test results are evaluated.

Procedure for Storage, Preparation, Analysis

• The laboratory participates in RIQAS Proficiency Testing programme.
• All 12 Samples are provided before initiation of cycle and stored at 2-8°c in the refrigerator.
• Do not get confused between cycle Number and sample number. For example for the year 2024 cycle number is 21 while the 2025 cycle number will be 22. Sample number 1 is given for the sample for January, Sample number 2 for February and so on.
• Analyze the EQAS sample between 21st- 25th date of the month.
• Result of this sample should be submitted before last Monday of every month.
• Take a vial of EQC from the refrigerator. Make sure to check the sample number according to the month.
• Reconstitute the sample with 5 ml distilled water by using a calibrated pipette and calibrated weight machine.
• Put the sample into a calibrated electronic weight machine to adjust to weight 0.0 mg. Now add distilled water drop by drop till the weight machine is showing an exact weight of 5.0 mg.
• Mix it by gentle inversion and eversion.
• Put it at room temperature in a dark place for 30 minutes and watch for all powder particles has been dissolved.
• Make aliquots of 150 microliter and label them appropriately and store them for further use either for calibration verification or for any other troubleshooting.
• Provide a single aliquot to the technicians operating architect chemistry analyzer, architect immunoassay analyzer and semi auto analyzer and should be analyzed in the same manner as routine samples are analyzed.
• If dilution is required, analyze it. If repeat analysis is required, repeat it as per the repeat analysis criteria.
• Attach Quality Control & Proficiency testing sample analysis raw data in the EQAS work list

Procedure for result submission Open “riqas login - Search (bing.com)” website from a computer on which the internet is available.

Click on login. Enter user name and password. Following window opens. Go to “Data entry”—→Select Fully Auto or semi auto analyzer. Select the current sample. Enter results & after upload of result on website, e-verified by third person that is not present during result upload. click on the “submit” button. Do not communicate with other participants in the interlaboratory comparison programme about sample data until after the date for submission of the data. Do not refer interlaboratory comparison samples for confirmatory examinations before submission of the data, although this would routinely be done with patient samples.

Procedure for Root Cause Analysis of EQAS result EQAS results will be received within the 1st - 5th date of next month on registered mail ID or it can be downloaded from the RIQAS website. Go to the PDF reports, Click on Fully auto analyzer or Semi auto analyzer. Download the PDF reports. Upload this report to the RIQAS result in Biochemistry google drive to avoid repeated download.

Root cause analysis(RCA) of EQA done for that parameter which has Target Score greater than 50 SDI less than ±2SD from the mean for comparison % Deviation within the “acceptable limits” set. Write the NC in excel for NC.

Procedure for Modification in EQAS Program Go to “Data entry”—→Assay Details—→Following page will open —→ Click on parameter that you want to modify.

Procedure for addition of analyte in EQAS Program Go to “Data entry”—→Assay Details—→ Click on Add New Parameter—→Following page will open Enter all the details & Save changes. It will take 3 weeks after modification.