This session covered the importance and significance of the harmonization of the pre-analytical phase in Europe. Objectives, challenges, and future goals were discussed, as well as the role of the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM) in facilitating this process.

Speaker Name: Ana-Maria Simundic

Co-Host Name: Barbara De la Salle

Day/Date/Time: This session was delivered on Thursday 8th October 2020, 15:00-16:00 (UK London time)

The ISO15189:2012 standard is aimed to improve quality in medical laboratories by standardization of all key processes, including the pre-analytical phase. It is, however, a common experience that accreditation bodies for ISO15189:2012 tend to spend only a small amount of time auditing pre-analytical activities. Moreover, there are also significant differences in how technical auditors interpret the pre-analytical requirements described in ISO15189:2012.

This session gave an overview of a number of important pre-analytical requirements contained in the ISO15189:2012 standard and provide guidance for laboratories on how to meet these requirements. These ISO requirements were discussed within the EFLM Working group Pre-analytical Phase (WG-PRE) and for each ISO requirement, a minimal recommendation and a best-in-class solution were agreed upon by consensus.

Speaker Name: Pieter Vermeersch, MD PhD

Co-Host Name: Mr Andrew Platt

Day/Date/Time: This session was delivered on Thursday 15th October 2020, 15:00-16:00 (UK London time)

Depending on the level of Haemolysis, Icterus and Lipaemia (HIL), laboratories may not be able to get an accurate result for some laboratory tests. This webinar uses data from the UK NEQAS for Serum Indices EQA Scheme to review and compare manufacturer performance of HIL Indices. As examples, we show at the impact on routine assays such as Serum Creatinine and Serum Cholesterol. The session concludes by looking at the current laboratory practice of handling indices, including their use in other matrices.

Speaker Name: Rachel Marrington

Co-Host Name: Ana-Maria Simundic

Day/Date/Time: This session was delivered on Thursday 23rd October 2020, 15:00-16:00 (UK London time)

Carrying out in-house assessments of analyte stability can be a minefield. This webinar will discuss why assessing stability is important and will give an update on the current literature on how to determine analyte stability, and how to present and report findings.

Speaker Name: Sophie Hepburn

Co-Host Name: Sean Costelloe

Day/Date/Time: Thursday 29th October 2020, 15:00-16:00 (UK London time)

2 in 1 – Individuals attending  this particular webinar will have the benefit of listening to 2 presentation sessions in 1

Presentation 1: Reducing Sample Rejections Due to Pre-Analytical Errors (GOSH experience)

This presentation will share findings of a pre-analytical process quality improvement project at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). The aim of the project was to reduce the number of sample rejected in the laboratory due to errors in the pre-analytical stage. The presentation will highlight the challenges of collecting samples from children and the actions GOSH have actively taken to improve the process.

Speaker Name: Wisdom Musabaike

Co-Host Name: Revd Dr Gordon Sinclair

Presentation 2: Managing Transgender Reference Ranges

Laboratory professionals aim to provide safe and effective services to all patients they serve, including transgender patients. Given limitations in many laboratory information management systems, provision of laboratory medicine services for transgender patients can be challenging. This talk discusses some of the key issues facing laboratories in this regard and discusses potential ways forward.

Speaker Name: Sean Costelloe

Co-Host Name: Revd Dr Gordon Sinclair

Day/Date/Time: Thursday 5th November 2020, 15:00-16:00 (UK London time)

Speaker Name: Steve Kitchen

Co-Host Name: Ian Jennings

Day/Date/Time: Thursday 12th November 2020, 15:00-16:00 (UK London time)

This session has now been delivered, please click here to view the presentation recording

There have been many initiatives to collect and collate benchmarking data on error rates in the Pre and Post-Analytical aspects of Laboratory Medicine. We report here on the findings from the UK where there has been an established monthly pre and post-analytical quality monitoring service (PREPQ) offered by UKNEQAS since 2017.  A recent development has been to offer clinical scenarios presenting pre- or post-analytical errors for interpretation according to local practice.  Scenarios presented have included ‘drip-arm contamination’, wrong blood in tube (WBIT), and the use of out-of-date collection tubes in coagulation.  A commentary is returned to Participants with their regular report summarising findings and suggesting best practice.

Speaker Names: Barbara De la Salle and Finlay MacKenzie

Co-Host Name: David Bullock

Day/Date/Time: Thursday 19th November 2020, 15:00-16:00 (UK London time)

This session has now been delivered, please click here to view the presentation recording.

Speaker Names: Mike Cornes, Jamie West

Day/Date/Time: Thursday 26th November 2020, 15:00-16:00 (UK London time)

This session has now been delivered, please click the images below to view the presentation recordings.