EQA-Schemes and internal quality control (IQC) pursue different but complementary objectives.

Internal quality control is carried out regularly in the laboratory and monitors the stability and reliability of the methods in daily operation. However, it does not show how the results compare to other laboratories.

An EQA-Scheme, on the other hand, enables an external comparison and provides an independent assessment of the laboratory’s overall performance. Both approaches are indispensable for comprehensive quality assurance.