Internal and external quality control complement each other.
- Internal quality control monitors the daily precision and accuracy of methodologies, personnel, and instruments.
- External quality control maintains long-term accuracy.
- Some key benefits of participation in a proficiency program include:
- Demonstration of technical competence
- Identification of potential areas for improvement
- Increased confidence in the accuracy of the laboratory's testing results
- Verification of the effectiveness of training
- Neither internal nor external quality control should be a lab's sole method of testing verification.
