According to CMS, in 2012 there were 229,815 laboratories in the U.S., of which 150,256 were Certificate of Waiver sites. Stated another way, this means that some 65% of laboratories in the U.S. do not have any routine oversight. The number of waived tests has grown from just 9 tests in 1993 to 119 analytes…
DetailsOne of the top priorities for every laboratory should be the safety of its employees facilitated by creating a culture of safety consciousness, education, organization and accountability. Managing safety is more than having a top-down list of dos and don’ts, viewing educational videos, providing protective wear, and having policies for incident management. A safe lab…
DetailsThe term “creating a culture of…..” has become the cliché of the 2000s’ ethos of competent management. It is no longer enough to lay down the rules; train your personnel, and maintain documentation; now we must create an all-enveloping world of understanding, communication, compassion and comfort with the organization’s operating standards. This new modus operandi…
DetailsIntroduction As a laboratory procedure readily performed in physician office settings, the simplicity of urine drug screening belies its importance and impact, as test results can be used to monitor patients’ medication compliance, detect drug abuse, provide evidence in legal/forensic cases, and improve workplace safety. Urine is the preferred specimen for drug testing primarily because…
DetailsConcepts of what makes for effective quality control have continued to evolve since the original requirements were defined by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act of 1988, and became effective in 1992. At that time the minimum requirement was established as testing two levels of external control materials each day of patient testing. However, CLIA Interpretive…
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