title: Survey material choices in haematology EQA: a confounding factor in automated counting performance assessment.
abstract: The complete blood count (CBC) is one of the most frequently requested tests in laboratory medicine, performed in a range of healthcare situations. The provision of an ideal assay material for external quality assessment is confounded by the fragility of the cellular components of blood, the lack of commutability of stabilised whole blood material and the lack of certified reference materials and methods to which CBC results can be traced. The choice of assay material between fresh blood, extended life assay material and fully stabilised, commercially prepared, whole blood material depends upon the scope and objectives of the EQA scheme. The introduction of new technologies in blood counting and the wider clinical application of parameters from the extended CBC will bring additional challenges for the EQA provider.
authors.affiliation: UK NEQAS Haematology, West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust, operating UK NEQAS for Haematology and Transfusion, Watford, UK.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: De la Salle
mesh_terms: D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000592:standards*; D006405:Hematology / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D013677:Medical Laboratory Science / Q000592:standards*; D010338:Pathology, Clinical / Q000592:standards*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D011786:Quality Control; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: blood cell count; haematology; laboratory proficiency testing