The new HistoQIP program is an external quality assessment program that is a 
cooperative effort of the NSH and CAP.  It is designed specifically for the 
histotechnology laboratory.  There will be two submissions a year, and each 
will consists of specific H&E's and two special stains.  The first submission 
includes a trichrome and mucin stain, and the second will include a fungus 
and an acid fast stain.  You will be asked to submit a control (for special 
stains) stained with the method used in your laboratory. Also information 
will be collected from each laboratory on specimen preparation, reagents 
used, etc.  A report will go back to the laboratory with a score on each 
slide, along with ratings of all other participating laboratories (not by 
name of course), and along with statistics on all demographic information. 
One of the most important pieces of information to be returned will be 
educational material on each procedure (principle, what the pathologists is 
looking for when he orders the stain, pitfalls, etc.)  along with a 
photograph of a good stain.  We also hope to send methods from the best 
performing laboratories, so that if needed, a participating laboratory can 
use this to modifiy and improve their procedure.  It is anticipated that some 
time in the future, one of the special stains requested will be an 
immunohistochemical stain.

This program will be limited to 300 participants the first year, and then 
will be opened to a larger number the second year.

NSH is excited about the program, having worked on initiating an EQA program 
for several years, and now having CAP as a co-sponsor.  It is the first 
program designed specifically for the anatomic pathology laboratory, and 
should be a help when inspection time comes around.  Those participating in 
the pilot program found that the inspectors were pleased with the quality 
assessment documentation provided at that time, and this will be much more 
extensive.

Hope this helps.

Freida Carson