INTRODUCTION: External Quality Control (EQC) is an important tool for quality assurance, assisting the laboratory in evaluating the efficiency of the analytical phase of its processes. An erroneous result of an analysis hinders the conclusion of diagnosis and the suitable treatment prescription to be followed. Health inspections in Clinical Laboratories (CL) in the State of Rio de Janeiro are made based on a sanitary inspection procedure issued by Directive SES/CVS 743, June 2006, RDC 302/2005 and current Brazilian legislation. EQC results observed from the total of 347 inspections conducted by the Division of Clinical Analysis Laboratories of the Department of Health and Civil Defense (LAC-SESDEC) during the period under review are presented below: 44% of 133 inspections performed in Clinical Analysis Laboratories had no contract with a proficiency testing provider in 2006; 38% of 95 inspections conducted in Clinical Analysis Laboratories did not have a contract with any proficiency testing provider in 2007; and 35% of 119 inspections conducted in Clinical Analysis Laboratories had no contract with any proficiency testing provider in 2008. Sixty-two percent (134 laboratories) of 214 CL inspected in the years 2007 and 2008 had EQC, however, 65% of them did not record the corrective actions related to the nonconformities identified in a report issued by the proficiency testing provider. METHOD: In this study, we evaluated the percentage distribution of the results of health inspections conducted in CL in the State of Rio de Janeiro from 2006 to 2008, registered at SESDEC, stating the number of CL that did not meet health requirements (item: "External Quality Control -EQC-Directive 743/2006") and the nature and the sector of these laboratories: intra and extra hospital clinical laboratories (publicly or privately owned hospitals and outsourced hospitals). OBJECTIVE: Statistic evaluation of EQC in CL in the State of Rio de Janeiro during the period under review as to the nature of these laboratories.
External quality assessment; Proficiency assay; Clinical laboratories
