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comment_88774

How is everyone navigating creating Blinds Samples for competency? I have found that doctoring a sample with a positive control makes the results too strong/predictable (ex. FMH, DAT, etc.). 

Any help is appreciated. 

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  • Bet'naSBB
    Bet'naSBB

    We use our CAP samples AFTER the results have been submitted and results have been received from CAP. We just finished assigning a BUNCH of "Internal Assessments" and "Method Comparisons" using o

  • jshepherd
    jshepherd

    Technically, any sample you don't know the answer to is "blind" to you, so any regular patient with no history can be used for a blind blood type for example. Yes, for DAT and FMH it's harder, but we

comment_88782

We use our CAP samples AFTER the results have been submitted and results have been received from CAP.

We just finished assigning a BUNCH of "Internal Assessments" and "Method Comparisons" using our first batch of CAPs that we'd already received our results for.  All these count as "blinds" for the staff.  Instead of making 1 tech do the whole survey, we give each assignee one sample to do and then compare their results with those expected by CAP.  works great!

For FMH, we get two CAP "TMCAF" surveys per year.  1/2 the staff does the first and the other 1/2 the second so everyone gets a blind for FMH.

comment_88785

Technically, any sample you don't know the answer to is "blind" to you, so any regular patient with no history can be used for a blind blood type for example. Yes, for DAT and FMH it's harder, but we typically use the CAP samples as Bet'naSBB said, rather than try to make up samples that are not quite right. :) 

comment_88787
1 hour ago, Bet'naSBB said:

We use our CAP samples AFTER the results have been submitted and results have been received from CAP.

We just finished assigning a BUNCH of "Internal Assessments" and "Method Comparisons" using our first batch of CAPs that we'd already received our results for.  All these count as "blinds" for the staff.  Instead of making 1 tech do the whole survey, we give each assignee one sample to do and then compare their results with those expected by CAP.  works great!

For FMH, we get two CAP "TMCAF" surveys per year.  1/2 the staff does the first and the other 1/2 the second so everyone gets a blind for FMH.

We do the same.  In the past I tried to doctor samples for ABIDs, and they were either non-reactive or 4+ at immediate spin.

  • 11 months later...
comment_93985
On 5/14/2024 at 4:20 PM, Lindsey01 said:

How is everyone navigating creating Blinds Samples for competency? I have found that doctoring a sample with a positive control makes the results too strong/predictable (ex. FMH, DAT, etc.). 

Any help is appreciated. 

There is no requirement that the blind sample for element 5 of competency assessment must be a positive sample.   It is perfectly fine to use a normal sample, ie, negative antibody screen, negative FMH, etc. 

comment_94082

We have a tech select a previously tested sample from another day.  They record their results on a downtime record and results get verified by the observer.

  • 2 weeks later...
comment_94277
On 5/3/2025 at 9:22 AM, Melanie Oliveira said:

We have a tech select a previously tested sample from another day.  They record their results on a downtime record and results get verified by the observer.

Do you do anything to make them actually "blind", or do you trust your staff not to look up the original results?

comment_94284

We sometimes use previously tested CAP or we use previously tested patient samples and cover the original label with a made up label in test environment, making sure that the patient is either discharged or the sample is expired. 

comment_94324

This is the requirement for element 5 from the CFR493.1451

"Assessment of test performance through testing previously analyzed specimens, internal blind testing samples or external proficiency testing samples; "

 

  • 4 weeks later...
comment_94743
On 5/12/2025 at 7:07 PM, Mabel Adams said:

Do you do anything to make them actually "blind", or do you trust your staff not to look up the original results?

Hi, we have a direct observer and that person makes sure that they do not look up the results until after completion. Melanie

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