Standardizing Results with Accuracy-Based Proficiency Tests

Elizabeth McMahon
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Coming up, next level testing. Why accuracy-based proficiency tests help labs standardize results, and how a CAP fellow led her lab to whole genome sequencing. Plus, an archaeological site in Chile fills in the genetic blanks on smallpox. This is Path News Network Daily Edition from the College of American Pathologists. I'm Elizabeth McMahon. It's Wednesday, August 5th. How can labs make the most of proficiency testing and improve the quality of their results? Accuracy-based testing is a key, according to a CAP-led educational session at last week's Association for Diagnostics and Laboratory Medicine Conference in Anaheim. Advances in accuracy-based proficiency testing can help laboratories and manufacturers improve the consistency of patient test results because they're close representations of patient samples, says Dr. Andy Hoofnagle, chair of the CAP's Accuracy-Based Programs Committee. Dr. Hoofnagle, a professor of laboratory medicine at the University of Washington, said that if more labs participated in accuracy-based programs, patients would benefit from standardized results.

Dr. Andy Hoofnagle
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So we're trying to get the same result for each patient, no matter where they get their blood drawn. So every lab, every platform, every assay giving the same number for that sample. Dr.

Elizabeth McMahon
1:32

Hoofnagle said he hoped the ADLM session would encourage more laboratories to participate in accuracy-based programs, not only for patients, but for testing quality overall. By surprise, the team from the University of Chile uncovered unknown smallpox variants in their work and compared them to modern smallpox genomes. They found the ancient genomes formed a now extinct lineage that split into medieval European strains around 1296. Their findings, published in the journal Science, helped set a timeline for how the virus's genome evolved. How do you introduce next-level molecular diagnostic testing in a busy pathology lab with an active research mission? In a new interview in the Pathologist magazine, Dr. Annette Kim, chair of the CAP Personalized Healthcare Committee, shares how she led the transition to whole genome sequencing, or WGS, at the University of Michigan. WGS provides a comprehensive genetic analysis of samples, enabling clinicians to better match therapies and treatments to diseases. The project aimed to reduce testing turnaround times, meet growing demand from clinicians for WGS testing, and simplify workflows for staff. Dr. Kim started with a pilot project to sequence DNA for 10,000 patients in the University of Michigan's Biobank and then launched WGS for clinical patients. The results have been robust and consistent, helping the division meet its goals. The interview with Dr. Kim includes advice for other labs looking to transition to a WGS workflow. And finally, a heads up for medical students. If you're thinking about specializing in pathology or still a little unsure, mark your calendar for a September 22nd webinar. The hour will take medical students inside a pathologist's day, following a real case from biopsy to diagnosis. Experts will walk through their clinical decision making and how their daily duties connect with patient care, procedures, and treatment planning. There will be plenty of time for QA. Learn more about the webinar and register at the CAP events page. That's all for today's Daily Edition. Be sure to check the show notes for more information on today's stories. Got a story you'd like us to cover on the Daily Edition? Write to us at stories at cap.org. We're back at 5 a.m. Eastern for another episode of the Daily Edition. I'm Elizabeth McMahon. Have a great day.