An international interlaboratory proficiency testing program for the measurement of antifungal drugs was initiated in 2007. This first round was limited to azole antifungals: fluconazole, itraconazole and hydroxyitraconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole. The results demonstrate the need for and utility of an ongoing proficiency testing program to further improve the analytical methods for ro...

Background: Skin prick/puncture testing (SPT) is widely accepted as a safe, dependable, convenient, and cost-effective procedure to detect allergen-specific IgE sensitivity. It is, however, prone to influence by a variety of factors that may significantly alter test outcomes, affect the accuracy of diagnosis, and the effectiveness of subsequent immunotherapy regimens. Proficiency in SPT adminis...

The history and origins of proficiency testing of clinical laboratories are reviewed. Since the introduction of proficiency testing in the late 1940s, dramatic improvement in laboratory performance has been demonstrated. Nonetheless, the poor performance found two decades earlier was summoned to support the passage of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act of 1967 (CLIA '67).

The history and development of the proficiency testing programs of the College of American Pathologists are reviewed. Important considerations of external surveys include target value assignment and determination of acceptable ranges. "Blind" proficiency testing and on-site evaluation provide alternative methods of laboratory evaluation but are limited by practical logistics.

this study used proficiency as an effective personal resource on work engagement according to the job demand-resource model of bakker and demerouti (2008). this was a descriptive and cross-sectional survey. the sample includes 395 employees from four public organizations selected randomly. descriptive statistic was used to examine the demographic variables and inferential statistical such as in...

Proficiency testing by State and Federal agencies is an ongoing activity of clinical laboratories and an occasional source of anxiety; strict statistical evaluations of "snapshot" laboratory values are inappropriate and medical-needs criteria should be used. The quality of laboratory results largely depends on available technology. Fortunately, for most of the common clinical chemistry analytes...

Radiation monitoring and inspecting instruments are important tools for the measurement of radiation dose rate or radioactivity. Now in Taiwan, there are five laboratories (processors) capable of providing calibrations for radiation monitoring and inspecting instruments. All these five laboratories have been accredited by the Chinese National Laboratory Accreditation (CNLA). In the past, there ...