Post-analytical quality control in cervical exfoliative cytology to Lima, Peru

In order to evaluate the performance and quality of the post-analysis stage of cervical screening in the “Madre Niño” St Bartholomew's National Teaching Hospital, a correlational analytical study was designed, with prospective sampling and transversal analysis of all the smears referred from the health networks during 2016. Eight criteria were assessed (labelling of slides, marking of slides, reporting of results, sending of results, filing of slides, storage of slides, computer programme and post-analytic errors) (α-Crombach»=»0.823) based on the perception of all the technicians, cytotechincians and cytopathologists in the hospital as well as 21 cytology students at the Federico Villareal National University. Cytology processing reported adequate global efficiency, with an average of 29 points and a range of 18 to 34. This assessment differs significantly in the marking of the slides (P =.722) and filing of slides (P =.503). A global difference was seen per evaluation group (P <.027). A direct correlation was established between the type of assessor and the total number of post-analytical errors (rho = 0.534; P <.005). These processes should fulfil certain requirements that are inter-related in a coordinated and dynamic way, in order to maintain the identity of the unit: sample-request-user. The assessment of the performance and quality of the post-analytic phase in the detection of cervical cancer revealed an “adequate” performance which differs from the assessments in other centres. This new approximation points out the importance of the post-analytic processes related to rescreening, the operative needs and the organizational goals.