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Unity Interlaboratory Program

Interlaboratory quality control programs are a broader strategy than just running controls and comparing them to the intralaboratory expected results. With an interlaboratory comparison program, laboratories submit their data to a central database and receive back reports comparing their results statistically to other laboratories in defined consensus groups running the same or similar tests. In this manner, a laboratory can compare its performance to available consensus groups to determine if its performance is as good as those using the same method. If not, the laboratory knows that it should investigate possible corrections to improve results. With Unity Real Time, Bio-Rads Unity Interlaboratory Program gives the laboratory additional documented confidence that their results are satisfactory, and provides laboratories additional confidence that they will pass blind proficiency surveys offered by external quality assessment programs.

References

1. Fraser Callum, Biological Variation: From Principles to Practice, AACC Press, Washington DC, 2001 (available at www.aacc.org)
2. Ricos Carmen et al., Current databases on biological variation: pros, cons and progress, Scandinavian Journal of Clinical & Laboratory Investigation, Vol. 59, No. 7, November 1999, 491-500 (an update is available at www.westgard.com)
3. 42 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations), Ch. IV (10-1-01 Edition), Part 493
4. Westgard James O, Basic Planning for Quality, Westgard QC, Inc., 2000
5. Westgard James O, Basic QC Practices, Westgard QC, Inc., 1998
6. Petersen Per-Hyltoft et al., Combination of analytical quality specifications based on biological within- and between-subject variation, Annals of Clinical Biochemistry 2002;39:543-550