The College of American Pathologists (CAP) has officially announced they are launching 10 new proficiency testing (PT) and external quality assessment (EQA) programs for 2027.

The goal of this action is to aid laboratories with performance assessment, quality assurance, and patient care excellence. The 2027 programs cover topics such as current and emerging threats, diagnostic areas of concern, precision medicine, genomics, and patient safety.

Some of the new programs include:

• Candida auris Screen (CAUR)
• Global PT/EQA for Tropical Fever Panel (TFP)
• Methylation-based Tumor Classification (MTC)
• RNA Fusions, Hematologic Malignancies (RNAH)
• Anti-CD38 Interference Antibody Screen (DARA) for transfusion medicine
• Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Varicella-Zoster Virus (MMRV)
• Reticulocyte (RT5)
• Serum Drug Testing (SDT)

The new programs are designed to help laboratories keep up with the evolution of diagnostic testing. They also are regulatory compliant, according to CAP.