A Failed PT Round Is an Investigation, Not a Score
The Q3 proficiency testing report comes back with one analyte flagged unacceptable. The next round goes out, and when Q4 comes back clean, the supervisor writes “re-run Q4, passed” on the Q3 page. Both pages go in the binder, and the lab moves on.
At the next survey, the assessor opens that binder, reads both pages and asks to see the investigation.
Most labs can produce their scores, whether they keep them in a binder or in a laboratory information management system. The written investigation is what assessors find missing. A failed PT result needs a documented review of possible causes and a recorded decision. In a CLIA or TNI lab, that decision always includes a remedial action, even when the fix is small.
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