External Quality Assessment (EQA) for SARS-CoV-2 RNA Point-of-Care Testing in Primary Healthcare Services: Analytical Performance over Seven EQA Cycles

In April 2020, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander COVID-19 Point-of-Care (POC) Testing Program was initiated to improve access to rapid molecular-based SARS-CoV-2 detection in First Nations communities. At capacity, the program reached 105 health services across Australia. An external review...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Diagnostics
Main Authors: Susan J. Matthews, Kelcie Miller, Kelly Andrewartha, Melisa Milic, Deane Byers, Peter Santosa, Alexa Kaufer, Kirsty Smith, Louise M. Causer, Belinda Hengel, Ineka Gow, Tanya Applegate, William D. Rawlinson, Rebecca Guy, Mark Shephard
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024
Subjects:
quality assessment
quality assurance
severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
COVID-19
ribonucleic acid (RNA)
analytical performance
Medicine (General)
R5-920
First Nations
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics14111106
https://doaj.org/article/948f7257b68844dbb06e34ff2cb7afb4
Description
Summary:In April 2020, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander COVID-19 Point-of-Care (POC) Testing Program was initiated to improve access to rapid molecular-based SARS-CoV-2 detection in First Nations communities. At capacity, the program reached 105 health services across Australia. An external review estimated the program contributed to averting between 23,000 and 122,000 COVID-19 infections within 40 days of the first infection in a remote community, equating to cost savings of between AU$337 million and AU$1.8 billion. Essential to the quality management of this program, a customised External Quality Assessment (EQA) program was developed with the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Quality Assurance Programs (RCPAQAP). From July 2020 to May 2022, SARS-CoV-2 EQA participation ranged from 93 to 100%. Overall concordance of valid EQA results was high (98%), with improved performance following the first survey. These results are consistent with those reported by 12 Australian and 4 New Zealand laboratories for three SARS-CoV-2 RNA EQA surveys in March 2020, demonstrating that SARS-CoV-2 RNA POC testing in primary care settings can be performed to an equivalent laboratory analytical standard. More broadly, this study highlights the value of quality management practices in real-world testing environments and the benefits of ongoing EQA program participation.

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