In clinical care, medical laboratory testing plays an important role in diagnosis, treatment monitoring, and prognosis; therefore, the quality and stability of results are always prioritized. In order to update methods for assessing comparability between reagent lots in accordance with international recommendations and to share practical experience, on 27 March 2026 Vietnam National Children’s Hospital organized a workshop entitled “Lot-to-lot reagent comparability assessment,” attracting nearly 150 delegates who were experts and healthcare professionals from many hospitals.
A highlight of the program was the participation of Dr. Christopher John Farrell—Director of Clinical Biochemistry, Liverpool Hospital, and Clinical Biochemist at Royal North Shore Hospital (NSW Health Pathology, Australia). International perspectives provided practical methods and experience in lot-to-lot reagent comparability assessment and its application in clinical laboratory practice—highly relevant and useful information for laboratories in Viet Nam.
Prof. Tran Minh Dien presented training certificates to the speakers participating in the program.
In his remarks at the workshop, Prof. Dr. Tran Minh Dien—Director of Vietnam National Children’s Hospital—emphasized that in routine operations, laboratories frequently use multiple reagent lots. However, small performance differences may exist between manufacturing lots; if not carefully evaluated, these differences can affect the accuracy and longitudinal consistency of laboratory results. Therefore, lot-to-lot comparability assessment is an important step within a laboratory quality assurance system. Prof. Dr. Tran Minh Dien expressed the expectation that the workshop would serve as a practical forum for effectively connecting international experience and domestic practice.
Prof. Dr. Tran Minh Dien delivered remarks at the workshop, highlighting the role of lot-to-lot comparability assessment in ensuring testing quality.
In the technical session, Dr. Christopher John Farrell presented two key reports on lot-to-lot assessment practices in medical laboratories and international standard methods to ensure consistency between reagent lots. These contents help laboratories control analytical error and maintain result stability over time.
Dr. Christopher John Farrell shared international experience in lot-to-lot reagent comparability assessment in clinical laboratory practice.
From a practical standpoint, Dr. Tran Thi Chi Mai—Head of the Department of Biochemistry, Vietnam National Children’s Hospital—shared experience in evaluating reagent lot changes at the Department of Biochemistry. The presentation focused on assessment approaches, lot quality control requirements, and handling situations arising during the evaluation process, providing useful information for participants.
Dr. Tran Thi Chi Mai shared her experience in implementing lot-to-lot reagent comparability assessment at Vietnam National Children’s Hospital.
At the workshop, many delegates raised questions and discussed challenges encountered during implementation, approaches to establishing assessment criteria, and the selection of solutions appropriate to each institution’s real-world conditions. Through these discussions, participants not only updated their technical knowledge but also had the opportunity to relate the content to implementation at their own facilities.
The workshop contributes to strengthening laboratory quality management capacity, aiming to ensure stable, reliable results—an essential element of patient care and treatment. At the same time, this is a continuation of Vietnam National Children’s Hospital’s efforts to update international standards, progressively standardize laboratory activities, and improve the quality of healthcare services for children.
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