4.2.SCORING SYSTEM

The Cytopathology QAP used an existing assessment system to define the benchmarks. The GYN conventional slide module uses the following categorisations when assessing results:

• Target response: an exact match with the expected (panel) diagnosis.
• Acceptable response: not an exact match, but a diagnosis that would not result in an adverse patient outcome.
• Unacceptable response: a response which is considered to be a significant deviation from the panel diagnosis but not a major error.
• Major error: A significant deviation from the panel diagnosis that may have a significant adverse effect on patient management.

The Performance Measures are a national standard established and documented by NPAAC (2006)⁴.

• Performance Measure 1
  Between 0.5 and 5% of all specimens reported as technically unsatisfactory.
• Performance Measure 2b
  Not less than 0.7% reported as high grade or possible high‐grade epithelial abnormality, age standardised.
• Performance Measure 3a
  Not less than 65% of cytology specimens with a definite cytological prediction of a high‐grade intraepithelial abnormality are confirmed on cervical histology, which is performed within 6 months, as having a high‐grade intraepithelial abnormality or malignancy.
• Performance Measure 3b
  Not less than 33% of the cytology specimens with a cytological prediction of a possible highgrade abnormality are confirmed on cervical histology, which is performed within 6 months, as having a high‐grade intraepithelial abnormality or malignancy.
• Performance Measure 4
  Not more than 10% of the women with a histological diagnosis of high‐grade epithelial abnormality have cells consistent with, or suggestive of, a high‐grade abnormality identified on review of slides that were originally reported as negative within the preceding 30 months.
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