title: Experience in the Netherlands with an external quality control and scoring system for clinical chemistry laboratories.
abstract: A procedure is described to judge the quality of clinical chemistry hospital laboratories in The Netherlands. In 1974, 45% of the laboratories took part in the national control scheme. A score system of the results, independent of the standard deviation, opens a provisional possibility to strive for (dynamic) reference laboratories. The Youden plots possibly will unveil systematic method-differences. Discrepancies in results seem to be caused as much by methods/instruments applied, as by unknown factors which are under investigation now.
mesh_terms: D002624:Chemistry, Clinical; D007753:Laboratories / Q000592:standards*; D009426:Netherlands; D011786:Quality Control; D013997:Time Factors