External quality assessment scheme for HbA1c assays in Thailand: A 5-year experience

Supaporn Suparak; Busadee Pratumvinit; Kanokwan Ngueanchanthong; Petai Unpol; Ariya Thanomsakyuth; Chavachol Setthaudom; Mongkol Kunakorn; Archawin Rojanawiwat; Ballang Uppapong

doi:10.1016/j.plabm.2022.e00288

External quality assessment scheme for HbA1c assays in Thailand: A 5-year experience

Pract Lab Med. 2022 Jun 27:31:e00288. doi: 10.1016/j.plabm.2022.e00288. eCollection 2022 Aug.

Authors

Supaporn Suparak¹, Busadee Pratumvinit², Kanokwan Ngueanchanthong¹, Petai Unpol¹, Ariya Thanomsakyuth³, Chavachol Setthaudom³, Mongkol Kunakorn³, Archawin Rojanawiwat¹, Ballang Uppapong¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Sciences, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand.
² Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Thailand.
³ Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Thailand.

Abstract

Background: Thailand National External Quality Assessment Scheme (NEQAS) for HbA1c was established to evaluate the quality of HbA1c assays in Thailand in 2016.

Methods: HbA1c results from participating laboratories were compared to the target value assigned by the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) reference system.

Results: The pass rates of participating laboratories during 2016-2020 were72-88%. The mean bias ranged between -0.19 and 0.20% of HbA1c. SD ranged from 0.30 to 1.08% of HbA1c. The overall coefficients of variation ranged from 4.46-15.66%.

Conclusions: Performance evaluation using IFCC assigned values indicated that different assay methods had an effect on HbA1c results. Participation in external quality assessment programs for HbA1c analysis is essential for improving laboratory quality and benefiting patient management.

Keywords: Accuracy-based; Diabetes mellitus; External quality assessment; HbA1c; Proficiency testing.