The ECAT Foundation

Welcome to the website of the ECAT Foundation. The ECAT Foundation is a non-profit organisation with the objective to provide an international External Quality Assessment Programme (EQAP) for laboratories working in the field of haemostasis and thrombosis.

The ECAT (External quality Control of diagnostic Assays and Tests) provides this international external quality control programme since 1992. It was started as a small-scale quality control programme only in Western Europe. Today more than 1000 laboratories are participating in this worldwide programme (e.g. from about 20 European countries, North America/Canada, Australia/New Zealand, South Africa and Asia).

Participation in the programme gives laboratories information about the quality of their laboratory testing in relation to other laboratories. Furthermore, it contributes to further quality improvement of participating laboratories with respect to the diagnosis and treatment of patients.

Currently there are 15 modules for regular laboratory tests and 9 modules for molecular biology. Every year the programme is evaluated and if necessary updated with new modules.