EQC: What is the Real Story Today and
Does it Assure Quality?
Speaker: Dr Sharon Ehrmeyer

The latest 2003 CLIA rules include an equivalent quality control (EQC) provision for “alternate” QC approaches.  In 2004, CMS described protocols for implementing EQC.  Because the EQC concept and protocols generated great controversy, CMS and CLSI (NCCLS) convened a “QC for the

Future” conference in March 2005 where CMS admitted, “we blew it.”  As a result, EQC is on “hold.”  This presentation will discuss EQC’s current status and approaches to assure test quality.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

At the end of the session, the participant will be able to:

1. Discuss the purpose/rationale behind CMS' EQC

2. Describe the EQC evaluation options and pitfalls for EQC implementation

3. Identify approaches to assure test quality

Sharon S. Ehrmeyer, Ph.D., MT(ASCP) is Director, CLS Program and Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UW Medical School, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706. Her experience includes 85+ publications in peer-reviewed journals, 20+ book chapters, 50+ technical reports, and 350+ invited presentations – regional, national and international arenas.