Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA)
| Accreditation Status: | UKAS Schedule of Accreditation | ||||||||||
| Date Scheme started: | 1990 | ||||||||||
| Clinical Applicability: | Diagnosis and management of prostate carcinoma | ||||||||||
| Analytes: |
Total PSA (SER/020), Free PSA (SER/030) Each analyte is available separately |
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| Units for Reporting: | ug/L (total and free PSA) in relation to the WHO International Standard. | ||||||||||
| Samples Distributed: | Liquid format. Normal and pathological human serum. | ||||||||||
| Number of Distributions per year: | 12 | ||||||||||
| Number of Samples per Distribution: | 2 | ||||||||||
| Frequency of Distributions: | Every two months as outlined in the Distribution Schedule | ||||||||||
| Schedule of Analysis: | Data entry is via the web for the submission of results. Data analysis commences 14 days after sample dispatch. Late returns are accepted and will contribute to the laboratory's cumulative performance statistics. | ||||||||||
| Data Analysis: |
All Laboratory Trimmed Mean (ALTM) with truncation at 2SD, SD, and CV%. Reports also show method specific statistics. Individual laboratory performance is expressed in terms of MRBIS, SDBIS, and MRVIS. Chosen Coefficient of Variation for Prostate Specific Antigen is 6% Chosen Coefficient of Variation for Free Prostate Specific Antigen is 6%. |
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| Performance Scoring: | MRVIS | ||||||||||
| Criteria of Performance: |
Laboratory performance for Total PSA and Free PSA is classified in terms of the MRVIS over a running analytical window of 12 Distributions (12 months)
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| Persistent Poor Performance: |
Defined as being in the Poor Performance category for two or more successive Distributions |