The Veterinary Laboratory Association Quality Assurance Program® (VLA-QAP) is a global external proficiency testing program specifically designed for veterinary laboratories and hospitals that perform laboratory testing and require an external confidential means of comparing laboratory’s internal test results to those of peers in the veterinary laboratory field. The program offered by the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC), offers:
- Customized, professional reports that let participants know where they stand in relation to their peers.
- A great way to monitor sample analysis and personnel performance.
- Quarterly tracking of laboratory test method and instrument performance.
- Expert review and interpretation of data
Participants can choose any combination of the eleven areas of testing (modules) to customize the program to meet the needs of their facility. Sample specimens are sent out four times per year for participants to analyze.
Areas of Laboratory Testing (Modules)
- Bacteriology: Provides 4 samples (2 aquatic and 2 terrestrial bacteriology) samples per year for culture and sensitivity.
- Chemistry: Offers 8 or 10 samples per year for testing of over 30 analytes.
- Cytology: Provides 4 cases per year for diagnosis and interpretation. Provided is a virtual image of a Wright-Giemsa stained fluid and or tissue preparation.
- Endocrinology: Provides 4 samples per year for analysis of 6 hormones.
- Hematology: Offers 4 or 8 whole blood samples and 4 Wright-Giemsa stained slides for differentials.
- Hematology Exotics: Provides 2 cases per year accompanied with a virtual image for differential assessment.
- Histopathology: Provides 4 cases per year accompanied with virtual images for morphological interpretation.
- Parasitology: Provides 2 samples per year for identification.
- Serology: Provides 8 companion animal samples per year for analysis.
- Therapeutic Drug Monitoring: Provides 4 samples per year for analysis of 3 different drugs.
- Urinalysis: Provides 4 samples per year consisting of both website images of sediment to identify and samples for macroscopic and microscopic analyses.
Data is pooled and statistically analyzed by the Atlantic Veterinary College. Within three weeks, confidential reports using both graphical and numerical data for quick review are provided
Figure 1: Example of individual client report for Sodium from the CHEM module.
Review articles are provided alongside results for hematology differentials, bacteriology, cytology, parasitology and histopathology modules. Comments and interpretations are presented by veterinary specialists which provides a unique continuing education tool for participants.