Impact of Academia-Government Collaboration on Laboratory Medicine Standardization in South Korea: analysis of eight years creatinine proficiency testing experience

Objectives: To evaluate the performance of the Academia-Government Collaboration for Laboratory Medicine Standardization in Korea (KR-STDZN) based on data from KR-STDZN proficiency testing (KR-STDZN-PT) for creatinine over eight years (2015–2022). Methods: We used KR-STDZN-PT data of creatinine tests from 2015 to 2022. Acceptance of the participating institutions’ test results was assessed by calculating the acceptance performance as absolute bias (absBias%), total coefficient of variance (tCV%), and total error (TE%) for each sample using six measurements from each institution and true values of each reference material. The test result was considered acceptable when absBias%, tCV%, and TE% were <5.10, <3.20, and <11.40 %, respectively. The proportion of acceptable institutions among all participating institutions in each round was defined as the acceptance rate. Improvements in absBias%, tCV%, and TE% were analyzed using creatinine concentration ranges in samples. Results: The number of participating institutions increased from 2015 to 2017 but remained consistent since 2018. The acceptance rates for absBias% and TE% increased from 52.2 and 77.6 %, in 2015 and to 90.7 and 96.3 %, in 2022, respectively. The acceptance rate for tCV% remained in the 90 % range for eight years. When creatinine <3 mg/dL, mean absBias%, and mean TE% improved significantly in 2021–2022 compared to 2015–2016 (p<0.05). When creatinine >3 mg/dL, acceptance performance did not improve. Mean tCV% remained consistent annually regardless of creatinine concentration. No significant variations in test methods were observed. Conclusions: The collaboration between academia and the government improved creatinine testing quality. Nevertheless, KR-STDZN must be expanded and refined.