The impact and effectiveness of participating in external quality assurance programmes in quality management and improvement at a local institute medical laboratory, south africa

This study was conducted in a Medical Laboratory in Johannesburg, South Africa, to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of participating in External Quality Assurance (EQA) programs towards improving the correctness of lab results and continuous quality improvement. The study followed a quantitative approach whereby survey questionnaires were emailed and handed out to laboratory personnel. The participant's responses were summarized and analysed using frequency tables and histograms. The data analysis results indicated that the EQA programs play a vital role in quality management and improvement. Most participants indicated that they understood the role the EQA programs play and felt that it is necessary for a medical laboratory to participate in such programs, coupled with other quality assurance and quality control procedures such as IQC, daily QC procedures, corrective action and continuous education. This research showed that EQA plays a vital role in the correct interpretation and reporting of the lab results.