Gaining and Maintaining Lab Accreditation

What sets a lab apart when it comes to quality? Accurate, consistent results and quick turnaround times are important, but accreditation can also help demonstrate the lab’s commitment to providing the highest quality possible. Accreditation bodies such as the College of American Pathologists or a nationally recognized accrediting body for International Organization of Standardization (ISO) standards will observe and evaluate the lab’s performance in achieving quality standards; if it meets those criteria, it becomes accredited. Whether it is a new lab looking to gain accreditation or wondering what updates it should make to keep its accreditation current, this article provides an overview of what a lab should know about the accreditation process.