IMPORTANCE OF IMPLEMENTING AN OUTSOURCED INTERNAL CONTROL SYSTEM IN THE QUALITY OF BIOCHEMICAL RESULTS

Abstract

Outsourced internal control (OIC) is a statistical process used to control and evaluate the analytical process that produces patient results. It is a quality control performed by several laboratories on the same batch of control samples compared to each other by periodic averaging. It allows an inter-laboratory comparison and an estimation of the accuracy and precision. The use of external internal controls is recommended for the good functioning of a laboratory. In our laboratory, the OIC covers and evaluates the analytical performance of serum and urine chemistry, immunoassay and cardiac markers. The OIC is performed regularly, three times a week in our biochemistry laboratory of Mohammed VI University Hospital of Oujda, and sent to an external organization for statistical processing. In an anonymous way, the external organization compares our data with those of other laboratories. Any discrepancy concerning fidelity or accuracy is a sign of a dysfunction specific to the laboratory, the cause of which must be identified and corrected, and its traceability and archiving ensured. The central laboratory of the Mohammed VI University Hospital of Oujda is committed to a quality policy that includes a method verification, and an accreditation process. Our work will constitute a solid basis for the implementation of an accreditation procedure for the tests used in our laboratory.