Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38893633›Full record

ArticleDiagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)2024

External Quality Assessment (EQA) for SARS-CoV-2 RNA Point-of-Care Testing in Primary Healthcare Services: Analytical Performance over Seven EQA Cycles.

Susan J Matthews, Kelcie Miller, Kelly Andrewartha, Melisa Milic, Deane Byers, Peter Santosa, Alexa Kaufer, Kirsty Smith, Louise M Causer, Belinda Hengel and 5 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland), 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Susan J MatthewsInternational Centre for Point-of-Care Testing, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia.
Kelcie MillerInternational Centre for Point-of-Care Testing, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-0916-7352
Kelly AndrewarthaInternational Centre for Point-of-Care Testing, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia.ORCID 0009-0006-3182-7280
Melisa MilicInternational Centre for Point-of-Care Testing, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia.
Deane ByersRoyal College of Pathologists of Australasia Quality Assurance Programs, St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia.
Peter SantosaRoyal College of Pathologists of Australasia Quality Assurance Programs, St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia.
Alexa KauferRoyal College of Pathologists of Australasia Quality Assurance Programs, St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia.
Kirsty SmithKirby Institute, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-2637-3561
Louise M CauserKirby Institute, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-8814-0678
Belinda HengelKirby Institute, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
Ineka GowKirby Institute, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
Tanya ApplegateKirby Institute, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
William D RawlinsonSerology and Virology Division (SAViD), SEALS Microbiology, NSW Health Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2031, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-0988-7827
Rebecca GuyKirby Institute, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
Mark ShephardInternational Centre for Point-of-Care Testing, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia.

Funding

Department of Health GNT
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

In April 2020, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander COVID-19 Point-of-Care (POC) Testing Program was initiated to improve access to rapid molecular-based SARS-CoV-2 detection in First Nations communities. At capacity, the program reached 105 health services across Australia. An external review estimated the program contributed to averting between 23,000 and 122,000 COVID-19 infections within 40 days of the first infection in a remote community, equating to cost savings of between AU$337 million and AU$1.8 billion. Essential to the quality management of this program, a customised External Quality Assessment (EQA) program was developed with the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Quality Assurance Programs (RCPAQAP). From July 2020 to May 2022, SARS-CoV-2 EQA participation ranged from 93 to 100%. Overall concordance of valid EQA results was high (98%), with improved performance following the first survey. These results are consistent with those reported by 12 Australian and 4 New Zealand laboratories for three SARS-CoV-2 RNA EQA surveys in March 2020, demonstrating that SARS-CoV-2 RNA POC testing in primary care settings can be performed to an equivalent laboratory analytical standard. More broadly, this study highlights the value of quality management practices in real-world testing environments and the benefits of ongoing EQA program participation.

Indexed as

analytical performanceCOVID-19first nations communitiesPoint-of-Care (POC) testingprimary healthcarequality assessmentquality assuranceremoteribonucleic acid (RNA)severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)

Identifiers

PMID38893633
PMCPMC11171734

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.