The Power of the CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program: Benefits, Peer Inspections, and Compliance Checklists
Summary
- The CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program is highly regarded by top-ranked hospitals for its collaborative and dynamic approach to continuous improvement in laboratory medicine and technology.
- The program offers discipline-specific checklists to simplify compliance with the latest best practices, benefiting both the laboratories being inspected and the inspection teams.
- Benefits of the program include maintaining test result accuracy, meeting required standards from various regulatory bodies, managing changes in laboratory medicine and technology, exchanging ideas with peers, and offering professional development opportunities for staff.
Discipline-specific Checklists Simplify Compliance
The CAP's annual checklist updates incorporate the latest best practices in laboratory medicine. Developed with input from over 500 pathologists, these checklists provide a clear roadmap for laboratories to achieve accreditation and maintain high-Quality Standards.
The Power of Peer Inspections
The CAP's unique peer-inspection model involves trained, practicing laboratory professionals who understand the challenges faced by laboratories on a daily basis. This model benefits both the laboratories being inspected and the inspection teams, with specialty inspectors available for High-Complexity disciplines.
Program Benefits
The CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program helps laboratories maintain test result accuracy, meet required standards from regulatory bodies like CLIA, FDA, and OSHA, manage changes in laboratory medicine and technology, exchange best practices with peers, and offer professional development opportunities for staff.
Program Details
On-site inspections occur every two years using CAP Accreditation Checklists to assess compliance with program requirements. Laboratories can access the checklists through e-LAB Solutions Suite, and non-accredited labs may purchase them. The peer-based inspection model uses teams of qualified professionals trained through the CAP inspector training program.
Eligibility Requirements
The CAP accredits laboratories performing testing on human or animal specimens within the expertise of the program. International laboratories seeking accreditation must enroll in EQA/PT for a minimum of six months before applying for accreditation.
The Accreditation Cycle
The accreditation and inspection cycle for CAP-accredited laboratories includes an initial announced inspection, followed by unannounced inspections in the US due to deemed status with the Joint Commission. International inspections are announced in advance.
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