Table 2.

Commonly used quality assurance strategies reported by participating laboratories (N = 69)

	Overall (N = 69) n (%)	National/regional (N = 41) n (%)	District/lower* (N = 28) n (%)
Written standard operating procedures on site	45 (65)	31 (76)	14 (50)
Daily testing using controls	57 (83)	35 (85)	22 (79)
Routine, periodic observation of staff performing testing	35 (51)	22 (54)	13 (46)
Routine checks/maintenance of equipment	44 (64)	29 (71)	15 (54)
Routine procurement of reagents and/or test kits	37 (54)	22 (52)	15 (56)
Use of proficiency testing panels	29 (42)	24 (59)	5 (18)
Dried tube specimens to assess rapid treponemal tests	2 (3)	1 (2)	1 (4)
Participate in external quality control program	48 (70)	34 (83)	14 (50)
No quality assurance/QC strategies used at our facility	1 (1)	1 (2)	0 (0)

^*District/lower laboratories include district hospital laboratories, health care clinic laboratories and hospital and university laboratories.