Lupus Anticoagulant: Case-based External Quality Assessment

Aims: A model for presenting case histories with quality assessment material is to be developed for the Dutch external quality assessment (EQA) scheme for blood coagulation testing. The purpose of the present study was to assess the performance of clinical laboratories in casebased EQA using the case history of a patient suffering from lupus erythematosus of the skin. Methods: Along with the case history, a freeze-dried plasma sample from the patient was distributed to the participants of the Dutch EQA scheme for blood coagulation testing. The participants were requested to report their coagulation test results, interpretation of the test results, and suggestions for further testing. Results: The response rate was 65%. Tests for lupus anticoagulant were performed by 27% of the respondents and mixing experiments by 32%. The interpretation of the test results was heterogeneous but the presence of lupus anticoagulant was suggested by 54% of the respondents. A substantial number of respondents (23%) did not provide any interpretation. Only few participants followed the sequential steps for lupus anticoagulant identification recommended by the Scientific and Standardization Committee of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis. Conclusions: Case-based EQA is useful as an educational postanalytical tool. Several limitations were noted, and these included the limited volume of the sample, the different matrix of the freeze-dried sample compared with a fresh sample, and the time lag between the case history and the preparation of the freeze-dried sample

Evaluation of research in context: a quick scan of an emerging field. Joint report by the Department of Science System Assessment, Rathenau Institute and the ERiC project

This Quick Scan is work in progress, a first step to collect information about contextual evaluation of research, that is evaluation that regards research in a broad context and includes all relevant output and the interaction of researchers with their social environment. We invite readers to add articles and other literature, methods, topics, conferences etc. and turn this into a joint enterprise. What we plan to do is through the ERiC website (www.eric-project.nl) organize a ‘living’ document – indeed something like the Wikipedia encyclopedia - containing organized information on evaluation, in particular contextual evaluation. We’ll form an editorial board with international members and will update the document regularly, at least four times per year. Next versions will be issued in September and December 2007. Both the ERiC-project and the Science System Assessment Department of the Rathenau Instituut will take responsibility for thi

Evaluation of research in context: a quick scan of an emerging field. Joint report by the Department of Science System Assessment, Rathenau Institute and the ERiC project

This Quick Scan is work in progress, a first step to collect information about contextual evaluation of research, that is evaluation that regards research in a broad context and includes all relevant output and the interaction of researchers with their social environment. We invite readers to add articles and other literature, methods, topics, conferences etc. and turn this into a joint enterprise. What we plan to do is through the ERiC website (www.eric-project.nl) organize a ‘living’ document – indeed something like the Wikipedia encyclopedia - containing organized information on evaluation, in particular contextual evaluation. We’ll form an editorial board with international members and will update the document regularly, at least four times per year. Next versions will be issued in September and December 2007. Both the ERiC-project and the Science System Assessment Department of the Rathenau Instituut will take responsibility for thi