title: Guidelines for setting up an external quality assessment scheme for blood smear interpretation. Part II: survey preparation, statistical evaluation and reporting.
abstract: Blood smear analysis is a well-known technique in medical laboratories. The clinical relevance of this analysis and its interpretation are very important. Consequently, monitoring of laboratory performance by an external quality assessment scheme is strongly recommended. This article represents a very practical guidance document for External Quality Assessment Scheme (EQAS) organizers for setting up blood smear schemes. In the first part of the guidelines, the Hematology Working Group of the European External Committee for External Quality Assurance Programmes in Laboratory Medicine (EQALM) published practical information for the preparation of blood smears for use in an EQAS. Part II focuses on aspects such as survey preparation, statistical evaluation and reporting, and describes particular details for organizing blood morphology EQA surveys by means of virtual microscopy.
authors.affiliation: CDB-IDIBAPS, Hospital Clinic i Provincial, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan-Lluis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Vives Corrons
authors.forename: Marjan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Blerk
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Albarède
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gutierrez
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heller
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nordin
authors.forename: Milan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Skitek
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Deom
authors.forename: Katalin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Horváth
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: De la Salle
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Libeer
mesh_terms: D001801:Blood Stains; D002624:Chemistry, Clinical / Q000592:standards*; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000592:standards*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005060:Europe; D006306:Health Surveys; D006403:Hematologic Tests / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000592:standards*