External Quality Assessment
Accredited Quality You Can Trust
Our External Quality Assessment (EQA) program is designed for medical laboratories and point-of-care testing (POCT) sites, helping to ensure reliable patient care through accurate examinations and interpretations. With more than 250 clinically relevant EQA products, we aim to support laboratories in their continuous quality improvement.
We are proud that our EQA services are accredited in compliance with ISO/IEC 17043:2023, and our management system is certified in compliance with ISO 9001:2015. The certificates reflect our commitment to quality and ongoing improvement, and serve as proof of the competency and dedication of our company and employees. The vast majority of our EQA schemes are accredited, as indicated on our webpage, and our program is fully compliant with the ISO 15189 standard requirements.
Who needs external quality assessment services?
Our external quality assessment services are suitable for all laboratory examinations and point-of-care tests. We provide services primarily to clinical laboratories and point-of-care sites, but also to a range of other clients, such as diagnostics companies, research laboratories and veterinary clinics. In most of the countries, participation in external quality assessment is recommended and it is a basic requirement in all quality systems associated with laboratory diagnostics. Participation in EQA is mandatory in some countries in medical laboratories and POCT as well.
Our clients include:
- Clinical laboratories
- POCT sites
- Diagnostics companies
- Universities and research institutions
- Food and environmental laboratories
- Veterinary clinics and laboratories
- Instrument care and maintenance centers
- Pharmacies
What are the benefits of external quality assessment?
One of the main purposes of external quality assessment is to maintain a high level of patient safety by improving the quality of examination processes. By using our quality assessment services, you will receive a regular, objective assessment of the validity of your measurements. The results of our assessment will serve as a basis for identifying weaknesses in your laboratory processes and test methods and, consequently, improving your performance. Furthermore, external quality assessment is a powerful tool for managing risks and making decisions when procuring new tests.
The benefits of external quality assessment
- Performance indicator for your quality system
- Tool for managing risks and ensuring patient safety
- Indicator for test precision and reproducibility
- Tool for identifying shortcomings in test methods
- Tool for maintaining and improving quality
- Supportive tool for internal quality assessment
- Supportive tool for user training and professional skills maintenance
EQAS for the preanalytical phase
Explore our services
EQA Product Catalogue
Integrated EQA Service
standard requirements.
New EQA Schemes
Local Partners Create Additional Value
We have EQA partners and distributors in more than 40 countries in Europe, South America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Partner organisations sell and localise the EQA service in their territory. All partners have expertise in EQA and laboratory medicine.
Digital External Quality Assessment Programs
Our digital EQA product line provides an
advanced approach to external quality
assessment. Digital EQA programs or
virtual EQA programs use digital images,
videos, virtual microscopy technology, and
questionnaires as EQA samples.