Dear Listmembers
Since the UK consensus statement on HbA1c standardisation, we
have seen a a marked shift towards explicit use of 'DCCT
alignment' by UK laboratories (nearly 90% of UK NEQAS
participants this month), and there is generally good agreement
between the 'DCCT aligned' grouped laboratory mean and the
'DCCT reference method' value we provide on our reports (obtained
from an NGSP reference laboratory).
During this time, we have been waiting for release of IFCC
reference measurement system secondary reference materials so
that manufacturers can prepare and provide IFCC calibrants for
their systems.
I am pleased to announce that UK NEQAS is now able to provide
IFCC reference method values for our specimens (whole blood from
diabetic and non-diabetic volunteers). These are obtained from an
IFCC HbA1c reference laboratory in real time on the same
specimens distributed to participants.
Please go to
http://www.ukneqas.org.uk/Directory/CC/hba1c.htm
and click on the link to view an HbA1c report sample page (.pdf)
showing the data for the last distribution.
The release of IFCC reference data to UK NEQAS should signal
that provision of IFCC standardisation by diagnostic companies
may be available soon.
I should be most grateful, therefore, if listmembers would contact
me (personal email not the list) and share their experience of
evaluating and implementing IFCC standardisation for HbA1c when
this becomes available from their diagnostic system supplier.
As soon as sufficient participants are using IFCC calibration, we
will activate a separate 'IFCC calibration strategy' group and
assess laboratories within this group against their own group
mean, as we do for the 'DCCT aligned' and 'non-aligned by choice'
calibration strategy groups.
This will enable numerical results for HbA1c on authentic materials
for all three calibration strategy groups (and the methods within
them) to be compared over geography and time.
Thank you
Jonathan Middle
============================================
Jonathan Middle, UK NEQAS Birmingham
tel 0121 414 7300 fax 0121 414 1179
This message is intended only for the above
recipient(s). The opinions expressed are
mine alone and do not necessarily represent
those of UK NEQAS Birmingham, the University
Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust or the UK NEQAS
Organisation.
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