Northfield, IL—The College of American Pathologists (CAP) released on July 28, 2015, enhanced Laboratory Accreditation Program checklists, used in the accreditation inspection process to help laboratories meet the CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES (CMS) requirements. The CMS REAPPROVED the CAP's accreditation program in April, deeming the CAP meets or exceeds Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments requirements.
The CAP's program is based on rigorous accreditation standards that are translated into detailed checklist requirements. CAP inspection teams use the checklists as a guide to assess the laboratory's overall management and operation. The program is internationally recognized and the only one of its kind that utilizes teams of practicing laboratory professionals as inspectors. Designed to go well beyond regulatory compliance, the program helps laboratories achieve the highest standards of excellence to positively impact patient care.
In the 2015 accreditation checklist edition, the CAP added new requirements, including significant changes addressing laboratory developed tests, establishing a minimum number of samples to ensure analytic accuracy. Other additions include updated checklist items for cancer reporting and IN VIVO MICROSCOPY in anatomic pathology, as well as enhanced quality control measures and further guidelines on confirming and reporting personnel qualifications.
The CAP Checklist Committee is made up of practicing pathologist members and they are responsible for near-constant evaluation of checklists to maintain program stringency and the highest standards of patient care in a changing medical landscape.
"These checklists are essential in providing CAP inspection teams with the tools to conduct thorough, consistent, and fair laboratory inspections," said Richard R. Gomez, MD, FCAP, chair, CAP Council on Accreditation. "The CAP is committed to improving laboratory medicine through accreditation for the benefit of patients and health care providers alike."
"Now—with the evolution of diagnostic practices into new advances like in vivo microscopy and next generation sequencing (NGS)—it is more important than ever that we remain diligent in monitoring and improving the practice of pathology," Dr. Gomez said.
A webinar detailing the specifics of checklist updates is scheduled for September 16, 2015, and will be led by Gerald A. Hoeltge, MD, FCAP, and William W. West, MD, FCAP, the current chair of the CAP Checklists Committee. Visit CAP.ORG for more information.
About the College of American Pathologists
As the leading organization for board-certified pathologists, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) serves patients, pathologists, and the public by fostering and advocating excellence in the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine worldwide. With more than 18,000 physician members, the CAP has led laboratory accreditation for more than 50 years with more than 7,700 CAP-accredited laboratories in 50 countries. Find more information about the CAP at CAP.ORG. Follow CAP on Twitter at @PATHOLOGISTS.
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