Quality control and technical assistance
Quality Control
Please see the relevant methods on pages 4, 5, 6 and 7 for specific instructions on quality control.
Laboratory accreditation
URINARY IODINE PROCEDURES
US Center for Disease Control and Prevention: EQUIP Accreditation Scheme
Ensuring the Quality of Iodine Procedures (EQUIP) is a standardization program that addresses laboratory quality-assurance issues related to testing for iodine deficiency. The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC)’s EQUIP program currently assists more than 126 iodine laboratories in more than 60 countries. CDC provides each laboratory with quality-control materials, analytical guidelines, and technical training and consultation so that these laboratories can accurately measure iodine levels in their national surveys. Three times a year, CDC sends participating laboratories EQUIP samples for analysis. Participation is free.
For more information and details of how to become and EQUIP-accredited laboratory, visit the CDC website here.
THYROID ULTRASOUND (EU ONLY)
OpeN-Global users based in the European Union and wishing to undertake thyroid ultrasound measurements are invited to participate in ARCUS (Advanced Reader Certification for Unified Studies), an online training and certification tool with the aim of standardizing the training of ultrasound observers as well as thyroid ultrasound measurements in population-based studies. ARCUS consists of a comprehensive thyroid image data repository for the training and certification of ultrasound observers. Successful completion of the three thyroid modules leads to a certification according to the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP) standards. This certification has no clinical application; it is uniquely for the purpose of standardizing thyroid ultrasound measurements in population-based studies.
ARCUS is a EUthyroid initiative developed by a EUthyroid partner and is available via this page.
For further details on other laboratory accreditation, validation or proficiency testing schemes, please see the OpeN-Global page on Laboratory accreditation.
Technical assistance
For technical assistance and questions on methods of population iodine assessment, please contact OpeN-Global, or, for urinary iodine procedures, write to the CDC EQUIP programme.
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