EuroGentest: Quality Management and accreditation of genetic testing services.

The EuroGentest network aims to improve and harmonize the quality of genetic services in Europe, from test development through to information for patients. The network encompasses Biochemical, Clinical, Cyto- and Molecular Genetics, Genetic Counselling and patient groups. Since January 2005, the EuroGentest Quality Management group has disseminated information on accreditation through five international workshops. A database on the current status of QAu in European genetic testing services will soon be publicly available. On the EuroGentest website, laboratories can find the EQA scheme most appropriate to their needs through discipline specific registers of schemes in Europe. All three laboratory disciplines have expanded their repertoire of EQA including a pilot pan-European cytogenetics scheme, CEQA. Minimum quality guidelines have been published for cytogenetics and some biochemical analytes. Draft guidelines for microarrays will be published later this year. In collaboration with EMQN, best practice meetings will be organised in 2007 for Familial Breast Cancer, Spinocerebellar Ataxias and Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young to generate consensus guidelines. Finally QCMs for Prader-Willi/Angelman syndromes are being developed and validation of MLPA, diagnostic CF-testing kits and DNA extraction methods are in progress through a core group of accredited laboratories with reports due this year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]