Automated System Programmed in R for Performance Evaluation in Proficiency Testing According to ISO 17043:2023 and ISO 13528:2022
A system for evaluating the performance of participants in proficiency testing according to ISO 17043:2023 and ISO 13528:2022 was developed using the R programming language. The processing of data obtained from participants in proficiency tests is typically a time and resource intensive task; so automation and digital transformation of this activity were implemented. The developed system was entirely programmed in the R programming language using the R-Studio IDE and was validated using data from ISO 13528:2022. It starts with the reported data from the participants, which are automatically compiled from reports in Excel format. Subsequently, homogeneity and stability assessment of the proficiency test items are performed based on measurements carried out in our laboratories. The distribution of the reported data from the participants is evaluated, and outliers in the population are assessed as well. Next, the assigned value and standard deviation for proficiency evaluation are calculated in several ways (e.g., mean and standard deviation, median and MADe, median and nIQR, Algorithm A, M-estimator, Horwitz equation) to choose the most suitable one based in the distribution of the values, and the number of independent values reported. Finally, the performance of each participant is automatically evaluated, taking into account the assigned value, the standard deviation for proficiency evaluation, and the uncertainty of assigned value, using performance statistics like z-score, ζ-score, normalized error, or others from ISO 13528, as requested by the PT coordinator. The developed system has been evaluated and approved by the Quality System Task Force (QSTF) of the Inter-American Metrology System (SIM), demonstrating reliability and efficiency. This approval enables our laboratory to organize more proficiency tests annually, meeting national and international demand while ensuring quality and reliability of our Proficiency Test services.