Proficiency Testing programs on DXRX by CPQA

Canadian Pathology Quality Assurance (CPQA) and Diaceutics announced their official partnership earlier this year, to leverage DXRX the world’s first diagnostic network in Precision Medicine to assist labs with the validation process in a way that benefits all stakeholders involved¹.

 In order to demonstrate quality standards, labs need to provide evidence of their performance. One way to do that for labs, is to participate in External Quality Assessment programs (EQAs). CPQA is a non-profit organization providing services to labs for EQAs, enabling labs to maintain a good service, which ultimately impacts patients’ care.

EQA programs could be provided to either assist the lab with the validation of a new assay, for example to test for a new biomarker, or to monitor performance of testing for an existing biomarker with regards to other labs performing that same type of testing. This is also referred to as proficiency testing². This process of validation and vigilance is not only a complicated one for labs, it is also a costly one. So, providing a good service, is no easy feat.   

Additionally, validation of less common biomarkers is a particular tough challenge for labs because they need to provide a required amount of positive and negative test results. It can prove difficult to come up with these results without support. CPQA provides this type of support.

 DXRX – The Diagnostic Network® is addressing all these challenges for labs and providing solutions through collaborations on the digital platform³. Labs registered on the platform have already benefited from the continuous access to collaboration opportunities⁴. 

Among other benefits, through these collaborations, labs often have the opportunity to access programs that help them develop and sustain their assays, through sponsorship by other stakeholders in Precision Medicine such as Diaceutics or pharmaceutical companies.     

Diaceutics is hosting a webinar with EQA partner CPQA to elaborate more on current and future opportunities on DXRX – The Diagnostic Network®. To find out more, register here and see how your laboratory can participate.

References

1.  Canadian Pathology Quality Assurance leverages Diaceutics’ DXRX platform to advance NTRK IHC proficiency testing - Diaceutics
2. Proficiency Testing/External Quality Assessment: Current Challenges and Future Directions | Clinical Chemistry | Oxford Academic (oup.com). Accessed February 22, 2021.
3. The benefit to laboratories in collaborating on DXRX – The Diagnostic Network® - Diaceutics
4.  Register - DXRX