In simple terms, being CAP accredited & CLIA certified ensures your test results meet and exceed industry standards for clinical laboratory testing.
The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) are federal regulations for United States-based clinical laboratories to provide industry standards for testing human samples for diagnostic purposes. These amendments were added to the laboratory requirements outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations, 42 CFR 493
Three federal agencies are responsible for ensuring compliance of laboratories to CLIA: the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Center for Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Center for Disease Control (CDC). A CLIA certificate demonstrates that Lab Me's partner labs meet the federal regulations for exploratory and clinical diagnostic testing, ensuring quality and safety in the laboratory and laboratory results.
Further, a laboratory can pursue a higher level of quality by becoming accredited by a recognized accreditation agency. The College of American Pathologists (CAP) is such an agency. The CAP releases its requirements building upon CLIA '88 regulations.
Compliance is assessed by a peer group site inspection every two years, cap accredited & clia certified. Meeting these criteria ensures that industry-specific standards for laboratory operation are upheld in the Lab.
These requirements can also point out areas for improvement to reach the highest level of quality. Being able to show our clients that Lab Me's partner labs have maintained CAP accreditation for years only attests to our commitment to laboratory quality.
Diagnostic testing helps healthcare providers screen for or monitor specific diseases or conditions. It also helps assess patient health to make clinical decisions for patient care. The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) cap accredited & clia certified regulate laboratory testing and require clinical laboratories to be certified by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) before they can accept human samples for diagnostic testing. Laboratories can obtain multiple types of CLIA certificates based on the kinds of diagnostic tests they conduct.
Three federal agencies are responsible for CLIA: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Center for Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Each agency has a unique role in assuring quality laboratory testing.
- Categories tests based on complexity
- Reviews requests for Waiver by Application
- Develops rules/guidance for CLIA complexity categorization
- Issues laboratory certificates
- Collects user fees
- Conducts inspections and enforces regulatory compliance
- Approves private accreditation organizations for performing inspections and approves state exemptions
- Monitors laboratory performance on Proficiency Testing (PT) and approves PT programs
- Publishes CLIA rules and regulations
- Provides analysis, research, and technical assistance
- Develops technical standards and laboratory practice guidelines, including standards and guidelines for cytology
- Conducts laboratory quality improvement studies
- Monitors proficiency testing practices
- Develops and distributes professional information and educational resources
- Manages the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Advisory Committee (CLIAC)
