Parasitology Reference Laboratory, National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), South Africa; University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Swedish Institute for Communicable Diseases, Stockholm, Sweden
Poonsamy, B., Parasitology Reference Laboratory, National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), South Africa; Dini, L., Parasitology Reference Laboratory, National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), South Africa, Swedish Institute for Communicable Diseases, Stockholm, Sweden; Frean, J., Parasitology Reference Laboratory, National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), South Africa, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Performance in proficiency testing (PT) schemes is an objective measure of a laboratory's best performance. We examined the performance of participants in two parasitology PT schemes in South Africa from 2004 through 2010. The average rates of acceptable scores over the period were 58% and 66% for the stool and blood parasite schemes, respectively. In our setting, participation in PT alone is insufficient to improve performance; a policy that provides additional resources and training seems necessary. Copyright © 2012, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
article; blood parasite; blood smear; blood stain; clinical laboratory; feces analysis; good laboratory practice; human; intestine parasite; laboratory diagnosis; microscopy; parasite identification; parasite load; parasitology; priority journal; professional standard; South Africa; urinalysis; Blood; Clinical Laboratory Techniques; Feces; Humans; Laboratories, Hospital; Laboratory Proficiency Testing; Parasitic Diseases; South Africa