The document discusses ECDC's strategy for external quality assessments (EQAs) from 2020-2024. It identifies four priority areas: 1) consolidate EQA scheme quality and efficiency, 2) enhance availability and impact of EQA data, 3) focus EQA scope to strengthen laboratory capacity, and 4) monitor usefulness to participants. Specific strategic objectives and indicators are outlined under each priority area, such as promoting laboratory participation, linking EQA data to surveillance reports, prioritizing EQAs based on public health needs, and monitoring corrective measures taken. The ultimate vision is for EQAs to help document and improve laboratory surveillance data quality and comparability across Europe.

1. Session 7: EQA strategic objectives to underpin
quality of laboratory-based surveillance and
preparedness at EU/EEA level
15th National Microbiology Focal Points meeting
Barbara Albiger, Expert Microbiology, Office of the Chief Scientist
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
15th NMFP, Stockholm, 13-14 October 2016

2. 1
ECDC Strategy for laboratory EQAs
• In the recent years, public health microbiology and
surveillance have witnessed the rapid development of
molecular typing methods and the increasing use of whole
genome sequencing (WGS). These bring new challenges
and opportunities to the execution of ECDC EQA schemes.
• Due to foreseen restrictions of the EU budget for health, the
EQA schemes are in strong competition for limited
resources.
Strategy for cost-efficient management of
ECDC EQAs

3. 2
Vision
‘By 2020, ECDC-supported External Quality Assessments will
help document and improve the quality and comparability of
key laboratory surveillance data reported at the European level
and foster capabilities to detect emerging and epidemic
diseases or drug resistance threats across EU Member States’

4. 3
Four priority areas
Priority area 1: Consolidate the EQA schemes
quality and efficiency
Priority area 2: Enhance the availability and the
impact of the EQA data
Priority area 3: Focus EQA scope to strengthen
laboratory capacity
Priority area 4: Monitor usefulness to participants

5. 4
Priority areas, strategic objectives and
indicators
Priority area 1: Consolidate the EQA scheme quality
and efficiency
Strategic objective 1.2: Promote inclusive laboratory
participation by all EU/EEA countries
Indicator:
– Percentage of EU/EEA Member States with laboratories
capable to participate in ECDC EQAs.

6. 5
Priority areas, strategic objectives and
indicators cont’
Priority area 2: Enhance the availability and the
impact of the EQA data
Strategy objective 2.3: Link the EQA data and results to the
interpretation of EU surveillance data
Indicator:
– Percentage of surveillance reports/surveillance Atlas
outputs referring to latest EQA results/report relevant to
indicate any routine technical limitations of laboratory-
derived data.

7. 6
Priority areas, strategic objectives and
indicators cont’
Priority area 3: Focus EQA scope to strengthen
laboratory capacity
Strategy objective 3.1: Prioritise the EQA scope based on
the public health needs
Indicator:
– Percentage of disease specific EQA schemes planned that
meet one or more of the priority criteria, by annual work
plan.

8. 7
Priority areas, strategic objectives and
indicators cont’
Priority area 3: Focus EQA scope to strengthen
laboratory capacity
Priority criteria:
• Sustain a unique role in supporting reference laboratory accreditation at
the national level;
• Support proficiency with identification/ characterisation tests that are
limited to specialised public health laboratories;
• Provide a service that is not commercially available;
• Support capability for the detection and investigation of rare/imported or
emerging diseases and drug resistance threats;
• Support the transfer of new technologies (i.e., molecular and genomic-
based typing) for EU level surveillance and outbreak investigations.

9. 8
Priority areas, strategic objectives and
indicators cont’
Priority area 3: Focus EQA scope to strengthen
laboratory capacity
Strategy objective 3.2: Link the identified needs to the
country support and training activities at generic and
disease specific levels
Indicator:
– Percentage of disease specific laboratory training
courses that are designed to address EQA identified issues;
– Percentage of generic laboratory support and training
activities that are designed to address EQA identified
issues.

10. 9
Priority areas, strategic objectives and
indicators cont’
Priority area 4: Monitor usefulness to participants
Strategy objective 4.1: Monitor corrective measures and
accreditation input
Indicator:
– Percentage of participating laboratories that identified a
new technical issue through individual EQA results that led
to taking corrective measures, per EQA round;
– Percentage of participating laboratories that included their
individual ECDC EQA report into their laboratory
accreditation dossier, per EQA round.

11. 10
Thank you for listening - Let’s start the
discussion!
– You have received the four questions for this session
– We will start with getting your collective feedback using an
opinion poll
– Please pick the electronic device you have received
– This device will allow you to choose one of the options
proposed to you
– To select one option, press on the corresponding number
or letter of your choice. You can change your mind until
the poll is closed. The poll will take into account only the
last vote.
– The result is anonymous
– Remember there is no right or wrong answer – this collects
your feedback for discussion
– We now will test with an icebreaker question

12. 11
Clark Kent aka Superman!
Bruce Wayne aka ?
A. Hulk
B. Spiderman
C. Wolverine
D.Batman
Hulk
Spiderm
an
W
olverine
Batm
an
0% 0%0%0%

13. 12
Question 1: Should the individual laboratory
proficiency level based on EQA results be anonymous
to ECDC?
1. Agree
2. Disagree
Agree
Disagree
00

14. 13
Question 2: Should the individual laboratory
proficiency level based on EQA results be taken
into account in interpreting the quality of data
reported to TESSy by country?
1. Agree
2. Disagree
Agree
Disagree
00

15. 14
Question 3: Should Member State participation
to any EQA exercise and the rationale for non-
participation be disclosed in the EQA reports?
1. Agree
2. Disagree
Agree
Disagree
00

16. 15
Question 4: Which are the three most important
criteria ECDC should consider when prioritising
EQAs?
1. Commercial availability
2. Accreditation requirement and
quality assurance
3. Cost for Member States
4. Support to new
technologies/methods/interpret
ation standards
5. Support to identification
capability for emerging or rare
diseases/ drug resistance
6. Support to molecular typing for
reporting to EU surveillance
7. Support to EU technical
harmonisation
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
0 0 0 0000

17. 16
Thank you for your feedback,
ECDC.Microbiology@ecdc.europa.eu
All ECDC presentations will be available on SlideShare:
http://www.slideshare.net/tag/15NMFP2016

18. 17
And visit our website
http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/healthtopics/microbiology/Pages/microbiology.aspx