Screening and confirmatory approach: attentive to the purpose of the evaluation!
For those analytical fields were the screening methods are significantly different from confirmatory methods and broadly used, the proficiency testing Progetto Trieste is statistically designed to take into consideration the different measurement methods, as required by Eurachem Guide “Selection, Use and Interpretation of Proficiency Testing (PT) Schemes”.
In fact, for Mycotoxins, Veterinary Drug Residues, Acrylamide and Freshness Parameters, the PT distinguish the results obtained by confirmatory methods from the results obtained by screening methods in order to have an assigned value that derives only from the quantitative results obtained with confirmatory methods.
In this way the assigned value is more reliable and the assessment has more value: you compare your results only with the ones obtained by confirmatory methods, so, even if you are evaluating a screening method, the PT simulate what you would do in your routine.
The separate management of screening and confirmatory results allows the proficiency testing provider to respect the requirement of UNI CEI EN ISO/IEC 17043:2010 to use fit-for-purpose methods of evaluation; different methods are chosen to fulfil different purposes. So, our answer for different kind of results (obtained by different methods) is having dedicated PT evaluation criteria for screening and confirmatory methods!
Innovate with you, innovate for you
Our customers have an important role in deciding how/what to innovate. The direction of our innovation is defined by our customer needs (that directly reflect market needs).
In this way, we collaborate with our participants in order to reach the best possible service.
How do we decide what’s important to propose? During the year we collect our customers comments, needs, suggestions. Moreover, each year, we select some of our customers and ask directly to them their opinion about our service and products. These conversations are rich of ideas for improvement.
So, our innovation workflow could be summarized as follows:
Listen to participant needs –> Take in consideration all suggestions –> Feasibility evaluation –> If possible, implement improvements or new ideas.
This workflow allows Test Veritas s.r.l. to be always at the frontline when there are new requests; at the same time, it allows to constantly improve what we already propose, achieving our scope to give the best service to our customers.
As close as possible to the routine
The Eurachem Guide “Selection, Use and Interpretation of Proficiency Testing (PT) Schemes”, points out that the matrices offered by the PT scheme should be similar to those of the laboratory routine. Progetto Trieste follows this path, posing particular attention to provide:
- Mostly Incurred Test Materials. The laboratory must prefer incurred Test Materials instead of spiked ones. Only with naturally contaminated materials the extractive capability of the method can be assessed.
- Several schemes with 2 different Test Materials. In fact, during a PT, as in the routine, the laboratory shouldn’t know if he is testing a contaminated Test Material or a blank Test Material. Provinding 2 different Test Materials, one could be blank (or not), so the laboratory is fully assessed also for False Positive results. Moreover, receiving 2 Test Materials allows to evaluate how the method performs at different levels of concentration.
- PTs, where the results obtained with screening method are managed separately from results obtained with confirmatory method. During the routine, both confirmatory and screening method compare their results with the ones obtained by confirmatory methods. For example, if a screening analysis detects a not compliant material, this has to be re-analysed with a confirmatory method. The same approach is proposed in several Progetto Trieste proficiency testing schemes, where the assigned value is calculated using only the results obtained with confirmatory methods, then both screening and confirmatory results are compared to such assigned value (and they are evaluated with dedicated evaluation criteria).
- Test Materials contaminated with interesting concentrations. The provided concentrations are set to be similar to the concentrations that a laboratory can encounter in its routine analysis. At the same time, the provided concentrations try to take into consideration the legal limits.
Flexibility and versatility are our key words
We are always open to new ideas and suggestions. Our programme is always flexible and one of our advantages is versatility.
We can manage to adjust our proposals to customers’ needs.
You couldn’t find a specific combination matrix/parameters? Ask for it! We are at disposal to develop it for you.
