External Quality Assurance Service (EQAS)
All-In-One Service for Precision & Accuracy in Every Laboratory Test
Streamline your external quality assessment with EQAS, designed to enhance accuracy and compliance in your laboratory quality management system.
External Quality Assurance Service (EQAS) - developed by Image Computers Systems with 27 years of experience, is backed by the technology organization Mechsoft Digital Technologies. EQAS is a critical component of laboratory quality management system, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of test results. By participating in EQAS, pathology labs can validate their testing procedures against established benchmarks, thereby maintaining high standards of quality and consistency. This form of external quality assessment not only enhances the credibility of the lab but also ensures patient safety by providing accurate diagnostic results.
Why Every Pathology Lab Needs EQAS?
Accuracy and Reliability: An External Quality Assessment (EQAS) helps labs ensure their test results are accurate and reliable by comparing them with standardized reference results.
Compliance: Participation in EQAS is often a regulatory requirement, ensuring labs meet national and international standards within a well-structured quality management system.
Continuous Improvement: Regular participation in EQAS identifies areas for improvement, facilitating ongoing quality enhancements.
Patient Safety: Accurate test results provided by external quality assessment system are crucial for correct diagnoses and treatments, directly impacting patient safety and health outcomes.
Audience: Our software product is designed for labs and health industry corporates that want to offer EQAS to other labs. By using our product, these organizations can enhance their service offerings, expand their reach, and improve business operations.
Key Features of External Quality Assessment System
Enables master labs to run diverse external quality assessment cycles for participant labs.
Ensures the accuracy of lab machines through rigorous validation processes.
Master labs can create multiple packages or programs by grouping laboratory tests based on analyte groups.
Allows participant labs to choose packages that best suit their needs, accommodating both small-scale and large-scale labs.
Packages are available for online purchase, offering convenience and flexibility and easy integration with existing laboratory quality management systems.
Participant labs submit their machine results via an intuitive online portal.
Detailed reports generated to indicate necessary calibrations for accurate results.
Master labs provide reference results for comparison, ensuring participant results are within acceptable ranges.
Utilizes data from leading machines of various companies for benchmarking.
Backend processes perform complex calculations to generate precise and real-time EQAS reports.
Helps labs identify calibration needs and maintain high-quality standards in their laboratory quality management system.
Proven track record of running efficiently with minimal support, ensuring reliability and ease of use.
Supports multimodal external quality assessment allowing machines from different manufacturers/models/series to be used for testing.
Supports unimodal mode where all participants use machines from the same manufacturer/model/series.
Benefits of Laboratory Quality Management System
Improved Business Reach and EQAS Expansion
1.Offering external quality assessment services can attract more labs to participate, expanding your market reach.
2.Flexibility in creating customizable packages helps cater to various lab sizes and specializations.
Best After-Implementation Support
1.Dedicated support team to assist with any issues and ensure smooth operation.
2. Regular updates and enhancements to keep the system up to date with industry standards.
Easy Configuration and User-Friendly Interface
1.The intuitive online portal makes it easy for participant labs to submit results and access reports.
2.Configurable settings ensure that the system can be tailored to specific needs and requirements supporting a seamless laboratory quality management system experience.
Flexibility and Custom Fit
1.Customizable EQAS packages allow labs to select the tests relevant to their operations.
2.Supports both unimodal and multimodal testing environments, providing versatility.
Operational Efficiency
1.Automated reporting and real-time comparisons streamline the quality assurance process, reducing manual effort.
2.Seamless integration with lab systems ensures smooth operation and data handling and better-quality control under your laboratory quality management system.
Enhanced Credibility and Trust through EQAS
1.Consistent and accurate test results build trust with clients and regulatory bodies.
2.Regular participation in EQAS demonstrates commitment to quality and excellence.
Case Study: Renowned Diagnostics Company Streamlines Data Evaluation with EQAS
Client Overview:
A renowned diagnostics company with multiple labs across the country faced challenges in evaluating test results across different analyzers to ensure optimal performance.
Challenge:
The client manually compared results from various analyzers using complex formulas stored in Excel sheets. This process was time-consuming and error-prone, especially with both unimodal and multimodal evaluations.
Solution:
We automated the entire evaluation process by integrating the client’s formulas into our EQAS software, enabling real-time result comparisons and automatic report generation. This streamlined the analysis of both unimodal and multimodal data, making it easier to identify the most reliable testing methods and analyzers.
Outcome:
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Reduced time spent on manual data entry and evaluation.
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Improved accuracy and consistency in test result comparisons.
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Enhanced efficiency in managing laboratory quality management system processes.
Essential Reports
Description: Compares participant lab results to known reference values the external quality assessment process, clearly highlighting deviations.
Calibration Help: Identifies systematic errors, guiding adjustments for improved accuracy within your laboratory quality management system.
Description: Assesses result consistency across multiple tests of the same sample.
Calibration Help: Highlights variability, prompting maintenance and recalibration for reliable performance.
Description: Identifies results significantly deviating from expected ranges.
Calibration Help: Detects anomalies indicating calibration issues, helping bring results back within acceptable EQAS limits.
Description: Measures systematic error by comparing participant results to reference values.
Calibration Help: Provides insights into systematic deviations, aiding in recalibration to eliminate bias reinforcing the robustness of your laboratory quality management system.
Description: Standardizes results to show deviations from the mean of all participating labs.
Calibration Help: Highlights significant deviations, indicating potential issues needing calibration.
Description: Tracks performance over time, showing trends in accuracy and precision.
Calibration Help: Detects long-term drift, informing periodic recalibration needs.
Description: Provides a comprehensive overview of tests conducted, including accuracy, precision, and outliers summarized in one comprehensive EQAS report.
Calibration Help: Consolidates key metrics for strategic calibration and quality improvement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our EQAS system is designed to support long-term external quality assurance by offering powerful tools like trend analysis reports and deviation tracking. These features help labs monitor their performance across multiple test cycles, identify consistent issues or deviations, and take timely, data-driven action.
By using our platform, labs gain better visibility into their diagnostic quality control process, allowing them to improve lab accuracy and maintain compliance with regulatory standards. Over time, this not only strengthens test reliability but also enhances the overall effectiveness of your pathology lab software investment.
No, if you operate a single pathology lab, managing a full External Quality Assurance System (EQAS) on your own may not be practical or cost-effective, as these systems are typically designed for lab networks or diagnostic chains.
However, you can still participate in EQAS programs offered by larger organizations like Metropolis, SRL, or similar master labs. These providers run EQAS cycles where individual labs can enroll at a low cost and still benefit from accurate benchmarking, result validation, and diagnostic quality improvement—without the need to set up your own EQAS infrastructure.