EVALUATING LABORATORY PERFORMANCE IN URINE PREGNANCY TEST, URINE GLUCOSE AND URINE PROTEIN TEST OF PRIMARY CARE UNITS IN REGION 6TH HEALTH THROUGH PROFICIENCY TESTING

Abstract

Proficiency testing is a critical tool for laboratory quality assurance. The participating laboratories utilize laboratory performance to facilitate continuous improvement in quality control. Additionally, the comparison of analytical results between participant laboratories instills confidence in their results. This study aimed to assess the adequacy of proficiency testing (PT) items prepared by RMSC 6 Chonburi and evaluate the performance of primary care unit (PCU) laboratories in region 6^th Health participating in the PT program for urine pregnancy test, urine glucose test, and urine protein test. Frequency and percentage were employed for statistical analysis.

The result indicated that PT materials of PT program (PTP) for Primary care unit: urine pregnancy test, urine glucose and protein test provided by RMSC 6 Chonburi ensure sufficient homogeneity and stability tests for at least the period of the PT round, as well as stability tests under transport conditions. The PT materials provided by PTP, specifically for urine pregnancy tests, urine glucose, and protein tests, serve as replacements for imported PT materials. The study of PCU laboratory performance from 2019 to 2023, the PTP for PCUs in region 6^th Health included 1,658 participants, with 1,529 participants (98.04%) submitting their result. The participant results were evaluated against assigned values. For the quality evaluation of urine pregnancy tests, the average satisfactory level was 94.87%, with 3.29% at a fair level and 1.84% deemed unsatisfactory. In the evaluation of urine glucose tests, the average satisfactory level was 82.95%, with 13.01% fair and 4.04% unsatisfactory. For urine protein tests, the average satisfactory level was 95.89%, with 11.86% fair and 4.72% unsatisfactory.

The evaluation of PCU performance indicated that the most participant laboratories issues with the urine glucose and urine protein test. This finding serves as a guideline for laboratory quality improvement and may propose policies for related organizations to supervise the quality of PCU laboratories.