Aplicación práctica de las especificaciones mínimas de la calidad analítica obtenidas por consenso

A working group was created to define and explain the minimum specifications for analytical quality obtained by consensus (MSC) by the four Spanish scientific societies that organise external quality assurance programs in laboratory medicine. The basis of these MSC were results obtained in the external programs of the 2005-2010 period, and were defined for 60 analytes. This paper gives guidelines on how the individual laboratory should use these specifications in its daily routine. It is concluded that laboratories should perform a cause analysis study and take the appropriate corrective action when a single result in an external program falls outside the MSC for an analyte. Fulfilling MSC is a necessary -but not sufficient- requirement in the laboratory quality system, but due to its condition of 'minimum quality' they should not be used as quality goals.