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Complete Article from Edition 43 APG eNewsletter
Article written by Michael Haller, APGQA.com Lead Developer, APG
APG Continual Innovation
APG would like to announce Immediate PT STATs. No more waiting for results. You can now enter your data online and receive your results instantly. Laboratories can now enter their PT analysis online 24 hours a day and receive an immediate evaluation of their results. Immediate PT STAT evaluation reports are emailed or faxed simultaneously to you and the requested accrediting authority.
Understanding Quick Turnaround Samples
Normal proficiency testing studies are open for approximately 45 days. It then takes one to three weeks to receive your evaluations. This is a “fact of life”, whether you work with APG or another provider. Remediation, initial certification, and non-regulatory proficiency tests demand a condensed schedule to meet laboratory requirements. These expedited tests are generally referred to as quick turnaround samples. APG markets quick turnaround samples under the name “PT STATs”.
Quick turnaround samples are generally sent by next day air to a laboratory that needs to perform immediate remediation or initial certification. The laboratory generally returns the data by fax. The provider then generates an evaluated report within a few business days, and sends it to the laboratory and the accrediting authorities that were select. In truth, this is almost identical to the process used by all other PT providers since 1999. That is a fact that does not sit well with APG. You demand more of us.
What’s the catch?
There is no catch. Immediate PT STAT samples cost exactly the same as they did last week when they were simply “PT STAT” samples. The samples are exactly the same high quality as they were last week when they were simply “PT STAT” samples. Quite frankly, the “Immediate” capabilities are simply APG’s way of raising the bar on the service.
A Familiar Interface
The Immediate PT STAT system is built upon the APGQA.com data entry architecture. Therefore, current customers will “immediately” understand the system. New customers should also feel confident because over 70% of participating laboratories currently enter their data online. Please review the January 2006 Newsletter Article, “Online Data Entry: Easier to Use, More Powerful” (http://www.apgqa.com/newsletters/1_2006_online.asp), for new features that were added to the data entry system in January.
How Does It Work?
- You can order them online at www.APGQA.com (http://www.apgqa.com/products/program_home.asp?programid=22) or you can call APG Monday through Friday 8 am to 5 pm eastern time at (800) 272-4442. Immediate PT STATs are available for Wastewater, Drinking Water, Underground Storage Tank, and Soils & Hazardous Waste samples. Immediate PT STATs are currently not available for microbiology products.
- APG will ship your samples by overnight delivery.
- Your laboratory runs the analysis.
- Report your data online just like a normal PT study.
- Click the “Evaluate Data” tab.
- Immediately receive your NELAC Compliant report by PDF.
- At the same time the accrediting authorities that you selected will receive the evaluation report by email or fax.
- APG will also send a hard copy report to the accrediting authorities within two business days. You will receive the tracking number by email when the hard copy reports are mailed so that you can be sure that your reports are received.
- APG will also send a hard copy if you desire.
Please note that you can still fax in your Immediate PT STAT data if you do not wish to report your data online. APG will process faxed data within two business days.
Advantage Reporting
APG believes that it is crucial to incorporate quick turnaround samples into the Advantage Reporting System. As with all Quick turnaround PT STATs since 1999, your Immediate PT STAT results will be included in the Advantage Reporting System.
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