Evaluation of an External Quality Assessment Program for HIV Testing in Haiti, 2006–2011

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate an external quality assessment (EQA) program for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) rapid diagnostics testing by the Haitian National Public Health Laboratory (French acronym: LNSP). Acceptable performance was defined as any proficiency testing (PT) score more than 80%. METHODS: The PT database was reviewed and analyzed to assess the testing performance of the participating laboratories and the impact of the program over time. A total of 242 laboratories participated in the EQA program from 2006 through 2011; participation increased from 70 laboratories in 2006 to 159 in 2011. RESULTS: In 2006, 49 (70%) laboratories had a PT score of 80% or above; by 2011, 145 (97.5%) laboratories were proficient (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The EQA program for HIV testing ensures quality of testing and allowed the LNSP to document improvements in the quality of HIV rapid testing over time.