Accreditation

Abstract

Accreditation can be described as the recognition or acknowledgement by an external agency when that agency has determined that an organisation meets prescribed standards. So laboratory accreditation is the formal recognition that a facility which performs tests or related activities is competent to carry out those procedures. The accreditation process involves a review and an evaluation of the following: • the technical qualifications, experience and competence of staff • the validity and appropriateness of and adherence to the laboratory's procedures • the adequacy of quality control procedures • performance in proficiency testing programs • the suitability, calibration and maintenance of equipment and instrumentation recording, reporting and review of test data • the suitability of the laboratory environment. Perhaps one of the greatest strengths of the accreditation process is that it is a peer review process i.e. this review and evaluation is undertaken by a team of individuals each of whom has acknowledged expertise in their respective field. On the other hand, certification process is purely an evaluation of the compliance of an organisation's management system with the requirements of the Standard. This presentation will contrast the differences between the accreditation and certification processes as they apply to pathology laboratories.