Proficiency Review Committee (PRC) Communications

The ASCLD/LAB Proficiency Review Program document describes several communications used by the PRCs. These include:

• Letters of Inquiry
• Requests for Additional Information
• Referral Letters

When the PRC determines a potential inconsistency exists between a laboratory’s test response and the consensus results, a Letter of Inquiry is released to the Laboratory Director and Quality Manager. Responses are required on all Letters of Inquiry and should be directed to the PRC contact person identified in the letters. A Request for Additional Information and the Referral Letter are communications that may be released after the PRC has reviewed the laboratory’s response to a Letter of Inquiry.

A couple of years ago, another type of communication was approved for use. This communication initially titled “For the Record” and now titled “Notification” does not require a response to the PRC. The purpose of the Notification is to ensure that the laboratory is made aware that a test response is different from the expected and consensus response. Although initiated by the Biology PRC, Notification letters can be used by all of the PRCs. There is no need for a laboratory to respond to a Notification unless the test results were not correctly transcribed and summarized by the proficiency test provider. The laboratory is asked to retain the Notification with the proficiency test file and Quality Assurance Manager.

Our approved test providers are not allowed to grade the proficiency tests. The identification of potential inconsistencies is the responsibility of the PRC. Test providers are allowed to use indicators that create awareness when a laboratory’s test response is different from the expected response. These indicators can exist in several forms including, but not limited, to the laboratory’s test response being:

• Boxed or bracketed
• Highlighted, bolded, or placed in a different font and/or color
• Associated with text such as “not achieved” and “unacceptable”

Typically, the PRC receives specially formatted reports later than the subscribing laboratories receive their reports. The PRC will review the reports and determine which, if any, laboratories will receive communications. The “difference in reporting” indicators used by our test providers do not always mesh with the parameters established by the PRC for the particular test review. The PRC can release communications to laboratories having test responses with no “difference in reporting” indicators present in the test report. The “difference in reporting” indicators used by the test providers assist laboratories in recognizing potential reporting differences that may result in communications from the PRC.

The Letter of Inquiry documents a potential inconsistency and will require the laboratory to provide information to the PRC regarding the observation. Although the Notification does have a similar format to the Letter of inquiry by documenting a difference in reporting, no response is required. A Notification should not be interpreted as documentation of a serious discrepancy in the performance of a proficiency test. Notification letters do provide an opportunity for laboratories to keep a record of differences in reporting and detect any possible trends.

The majority of Notifications have been released by the Biology PRC. The most common Notification creates awareness that a laboratory did not report results at an expected locus. Test participants are expected, at a minimum, to report values for all CODIS approved loci/core sequence ranges on the proficiency tests. Notifications have also been used in:

• Creating awareness of DNA anomalies that may have resulted in differences in reporting
• Bringing attention to the reporting of the possible presence of N-4 stutter and N+4 stutter/tri-allelic
• Creating awareness that the type of instrumentation used by the laboratory resulted in the difference between the laboratory’s response and the consensus response.

Questions concerning the Proficiency Review Program can be directed to the Proficiency Test Program Manager at pwilliams@ascld-lab.org.