Urinalysis External Quality Assessment Scheme (eqas): a Tool to Improve Urinary Sediment Examination

Urinary sediment examination is an important diagnostic test for the diseases of the kidneys and of the urinary tract. EQAS on urinary sediment evaluation are very rare worldwide. The “Urinalysis Performance” managed by the Centre of Biomedical Research (CRB) an EQA scheme organization with many programs in different fields of Laboratory Medicine was established in 2001 by a promoting Committee which included the representatives of the three Italian Societies of Laboratory Medicine (AIPaC, SIBioC, SIMeL) and of the Italian Society of Nephrology (SIN). This program is the first, and till today, the only Italian project of standardisation of urine analysis and is conceived with an educational aim. It is conducted on voluntary and confidential basis. The aims of the program are: the evaluation of the laboratories’ performances; the training support to the participants; the improvement of the efficiency and efficacy of urinary sediment examination. The program is addressed to Italian central laboratories, both public and private, and to renal laboratories. However, since 2004 also Slovenian laboratories participate in the program, with the official support of the Slovenian Association for Clinical Chemistry (SACC) and the Slovenian National External Quality Assessement Scheme (SNEQAS). I C I