For the next week, Jaqueline Hall, executive director, International Quality Network for Pathology (IQN Path) will be collaborating with Dr. Emina Torlakovic, hematopathologist and immunohistochemistry lab director, Laboratory Medicine Program (LMP) to standardize immunohistochemistry terminology for External Quality Assurance (EQA) providers.
IQN Path is a newly established not-for-profit organization that fosters cooperation between EQA providers so expertise can be exchanged and laboratory testing can be improved. The multi-stakeholder group was founded nearly one year ago by five European EQA providers, and is now expanding its network, accepting new organizations and expert individuals to join the team. So far, there are several EQA providers on board, including the College of American Pathologists (CAP), the United Kingdom National External Quality Assessment Service (UK NEQAS), Nordic immunohistochemistry Quality Control (NordiQC), and the Canadian Immunohistochemistry Quality Control (cIQc), which is co-founded by Dr. Torlakovic.
The collaboration between Jaqueline and Dr. Torlakovic came to be after a working group session with immunohistochemistry EQA providers in September. Dr. Torlakovic gave a presentation on the benefits of establishing standardized terminology for immunohistochemistry, which would enhance communication between international EQA providers and eliminate potential misinterpretations.
“When working with international organizations it’s vital to break down any possible barriers to communication,” says Jaqueline. “That’s why we’re working to standardize some of the terminology used by EQA providers within IQN Path.”
“Dr. Torlakovic is a great resource for the development of this project, and is truly a ‘fountain of knowledge’ for all things immunohistochemistry.”
Jaqueline first arrived at the University Health Network (UHN) last week, Monday, October 5, and is working with Dr. Torlakovic for two weeks in total. In addition to her role as executive director for IQN Path, she is head of translational research, European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), and a trained biochemist.
For more information on the International Quality Network for Pathology, visit the website, HERE.
The Pathology Report 
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