Model Performance Evaluation Program (MPEP)

Background

As part of the continuing effort to assess and monitor the quality and effectiveness of laboratory testing systems that support public health objectives of tuberculosis (TB) treatment programs, the CDC Model Performance Evaluation Program (MPEP) was established to analyze the performance and practices of all known clinical and public health laboratories in the United States that perform drug susceptibility testing of isolates belonging to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC).

CDC’s Role in MPEP

Accurate and timely reporting of test results is essential for the success of TB surveillance, prevention, and treatment programs. CDC has maintained an active role in the assurance of high quality laboratory testing through MPEP by

• Providing a self-assessment tool for laboratories to monitor their ability to test for drug-resistant isolates of MTBC,
• Monitoring the level of performance and practices among public health and private sector laboratories within the United States,
• Collecting information on susceptibility testing practices and procedures to determine variables related to good performance,
• Assessing areas for training and development of practice standards, and
• Compiling and analyzing susceptibility test results collected from laboratories in an aggregate report to enable participants to evaluate their relative performance.

Criteria to Participate in MPEP

To participate in MPEP, laboratories must

• Follow recommended biosafety guidelines for working with M. tuberculosis, as outlined in the Guidelines for Safe Work Practices in Human and Animal Clinical Diagnostic Laboratories (MMWR: January 6, 2012),
• Perform MTBC drug susceptibility testing at their facility, and
• Return a signed Participant Biosafety Compliance Letter of Agreement annually.

MPEP Process

• Laboratories complete and sign a participant compliance letter annually and send to CDC via email to TBMPEP@cdc.gov.
  • Participant Biosafety Compliance Letter of Agreement
• CDC will assign the participating laboratory an MPEP number, which is needed for participants to enter data online.
• CDC will send a pre-shipment email to participating laboratories to inform them of the expected date to receive the culture shipment. The participants should notify CDC of any changes in laboratory contact information.
• CDC will send MTBC cultures to the laboratories with instructions for handling, a manual worksheet, and a deadline for entering results.
• CDC will send each participant a link to enter results online.Participants who have not input their results two weeks prior to the deadline will be notified by email or telephone.
• Once the data has been collected and analyzed, CDC will send by email a final aggregate report to all enrollees. The report is also posted online on the CDC TB MPEP reports webpage.