Title: The role of EQA in implementation of the HbA1c global harmonization in Croatia
Abstract: Harmonization of the HbA1c results has been an ultimate challenge for health-care professionals involved in diabetes care worldwide. Long-term activities in the field resulted into the Global Consensus on the Standardization of HbA1c (2010), with dual reporting units: SI (mmol/mol) and NGSP (%) and IFCC reference system as a standard. In Croatia, a dedicated module for HbA1c was established within External Quality Assessment Scheme (EQAS) under the auspices of the Croatian Society of Medical Biochemists in 2005, with a primary goal to improve analytical quality and provide data for inter-laboratory comparisons. After a total of 13 EQAS-cycles, HbA1c testing in Croatia considerably improved in both quantity and within-laboratory precision (N = 53 vs. N = 27 laboratories, and CV = 5.4% vs. CV = 9.52% in 2012 and 2005, respectively). A pilot-scheme for dual reporting, in accord to the Global Consensus, was organized within regular EQAS-cycle in December 2010. Participating laboratories (N = 48) were provided with a modified result-form, covering both units, and a short explanation of the Global Consensus goals in Croatian language, together with HbA1c conversion table. Results of a pilot-scheme revealed an excellent compliance to the cycle-specific instructions, with 47/48 laboratories returning their results in dual reporting system. Results from the further cycles in 2011-2012 showed an increase in the number of participants and slightly reduced compliance as regards reporting units, indicating necessity for further education on the subject. Our results reveal a significant improvement in availability and analytical quality and identify EQAS as a valuable tool in harmonization of HbA1c testing in Croatia.
Publication Year: 2012
Publication Date: 2012-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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