History of versions of MultiQC ( www.multiqc.com )

Within a few months, MultiQC 7 will implement a quality control method based on patients' results : the Moving Average Of Patients (MAOP). This is an improved, real-time version of the 45-year old Hoffmann's method. It needs a direct connexion of MultiQC to the analyser. MAOP is helpful to indicate shifts of analytical processes that were missed by control materials or that arose between two classical checks. The power of MAOP is variable according to the assay and the population served by the laboratory.

Version 6.1.0

• MultiQC 6.1.0 complies with the User Account Control of Windows 7.

Version 6.0.4

• Bug fix : When the QC materials are not sorted by increasing target values, the EQA flags may not be drawn on the right QC chart.
• Other minor bug fixes.

Version 6.0.3

• Calibration charts, a new philosophy for QC.
• Four bars to display analytical events connected to control charts : Reagent events, instrument events, calibration events and parameters-change events.
• New validaty icons when an out-of-control drift is notified by the EWMA.
• Automatic retrieval of changes of reagent lots and bottles (when exported by the analyzer).
• Better organisation of control methods and parameter modes
• Bug fixes and cosmetic changes ...

Version 5.4.0

• Monitoring whether the timetable of QC is met.

Version 5.3.1

• Additional control mode named "Retained CV" to be used when switching to a new batch of control materials : CVs (and correlations between levels) from the older batch are retained for the newer batch whilst means are kept floating to get charts self-centering on the new targets.
• Reference pools can be made of several unconnected intervals of dates
• Offsetting targets replaced by "Manufacturer targets" displayed as dashed lines on the plots.
• Improvement of "cloned analytes": Events and EQA data are automatically updated when a change occurs in the original analyte.
• Cosmetical changes and bug fixes.

Version 5.2.2

• Small bugs fixes and additional buttons to scroll dates

Version 5.2.0

• There is no science without repeatability. Verifying repeatability of analytical methods is the first step of troubleshooting out-of-control situations or bad EQA returns. This version of MultiQC can automatically process and archive repeatability data transmitted by analyzers. These data are simply recognized thanks to a reserved identifier.

Version 5.1.2

• Calibrations are frequent causes of QC upset. It is most useful to be aware of the time of calibrations and of reagent blanks to be able to understand and explain numerous unexpected shifts of QC curves. This version of MultiQC can automatically draw calibration flags on the QC charts when connected to an analyzer that outputs calibration signals.

Version 5.1

• A tool for analytical method comparison. Like many other ones it implements ordinary linear regression, Deming regression, Passing-Bablok regression and a modified Bland-Altman difference plot. But for the first time, the limit between commutable and non commutable methods is based on medically allowed error instead of statistical significance.

Version 5.0

• A new way to verify the reportable range, a highly sophisticated mathematical tool, however so easy to understand and to use.
• New management of the events that occur in each analytical method (see user manual section 5).
• Improvement in the management of logins (see user manual section 12)
• Small bug fixes

MedLabQC was a programme for Windows 95/98 written 15 years ago by the same author. It is presently completely obsolete.