By November, most clinical laboratories have finalized their proficiency testing (PT) renewals for the upcoming year and are actively managing the winter respiratory surge. However, this late-fall window also offers a critical opportunity to close out your 2026 Quality Assurance (QA) records with a comprehensive annual performance review.
While the immediate goal of any PT event is assessing analytical accuracy and maintaining CLIA and accreditation compliance, the data generated over a full annual cycle is a powerful tool for Continuous Quality Improvement. Moving beyond event-by-event reviews to evaluate your longitudinal data allows your laboratory to identify systemic trends before they impact patient care.
Identifying Analytical Bias and Systemic Trends
An acceptable score on a single PT event confirms immediate accuracy, but isolated reviews rarely reveal subtle, long-term analytical shifts. Gradual calibration drift, lot-to-lot reagent variations, or an emerging bias with a specific instrument methodology can easily go unnoticed. Evaluating performance data across a full annual cycle helps laboratory managers identify these micro-trends early.
Analytical accuracy is only one piece of the PT puzzle; the most persistent laboratory issues often occur in the pre- and post-analytical phases. Investigating annual data for patterns related to late submissions or clerical errors across multiple events highlights critical gaps in internal routing, manual transcription, or result sign-off processes. Recognizing these trends gives you the exact insight needed to streamline workflows and tighten up your standard operating procedures.
Using the Quality Management Report
Gathering this macro-level perspective should be simple for your QA team to aggregate data from a year’s worth of individual evaluations. For WSLH Proficiency Testing participants, the Quality Management Report (QMR), which is accessible directly within the PT Central lab data portal, is designed specifically for this level of review.
The QMR automatically aggregates your laboratory’s performance by year, event, and analyte. This centralized report serves as:
- A periodic review of overall PT results.
- A foundational starting point for internal audits.
- A roadmap for on-site inspection readiness.
- Verification of appropriate PT outcome documentation.
“The Quality Management Report is a great tool to get a ‘20,000-foot view’ of your PT performance,” says Mike Argall, Director of WSLH Proficiency Testing. Argall notes the report is highly flexible, allowing users to export data to Microsoft Excel, other spreadsheet software, or statistical programs. “This gives a lab manager or quality assurance professional the ability to aggregate data across time or PT providers,” he adds.
Once exported, you can filter and sort by lab name, analyte, year, and score. This allows you to easily isolate missed or ungraded challenges and verify your readiness for your next inspection.
Want to see how it works? Anyone can visit our website to view a brief QMR tutorial video. Visit wslhpt.org/resources/tutorials and launch the WSLH Proficiency Testing Demo Video (start at 11:50) to learn more.
Reviewing Effectiveness with Your Quality Management Report
Reviewing your longitudinal data now or in the future ensures your upcoming QA strategy aligns within the context of your clinical laboratory. During review, look back at corrective actions implemented earlier in the year. Your aggregated QMR data will verify whether those measures were successful and sustained across subsequent events.
Leveraging comprehensive tools like the Quality Management Report shifts your laboratory’s approach to greater proactive improvement. Ultimately, this ensures you are better prepared for your next inspection and completely aligned with your mission to deliver the highest standard of patient care in the new year. By dedicating time this month to review your historical performance with your PT provider through a broader analytical lens, you empower your team to navigate with greater confidence going forward.
