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Medical laboratory accreditation standards in New Zealand
LABORATORY ACCREDITATION MEDICAL U B O R A M R Y ACCREDITATION STANDARDS IN NEW ZEAIAND
NATA5 VIEwPOhT
RL R-
RD, Road4
Andrew R Thakurdas. TELARC New Zealand, Private Bag, Remuera, Aucldand 5, New Zealand.
National Assodah of Taung A u m ALlaralia 6 8 8 p a c i f u H @ T u a y , ~ N s w2067,Austdla
g.....
?he rdr of NATA/RCPA in the reguhrory syslem ShOuLl be reprded as a one with irs prime d+we the raising of Stan drds of practice in pa!holoAevz an a a r p M e level for patient care. l h LS by a proms of education aemplified by the profestoaal ~ w h i c h o r m r s ~ h b m a t o r y ~
-
NATA in amjudon wuh tbe Ciikge bas the roAe d an i n s p e c t i o n a= u;deL t h a Laboratories
Departmentof
Commurury SBvvZs and H e a h and under mC a e p d %e
S e r v i c e s A c c r e d i t a t i o n B o a r d of V i c t o r i a . is f - a n d (m b CDCsH is Linked to e gibhty for M e d i c a r e rebates. For ameditation to continue the kboratocy mrrst ppply for and gain NATA/RCPA reghahn
Pathology
-w
NATA/RCPA requirements for N Y U C Standarcis Assessment these standards is by p e r review
Y
Ike
asseryys
aretawdm laboratories ' against involving volunteer
Since 19T9. when accrediting medical laboratories, TELARC has specified
Criteria for the Statutory Registration of Medical Testing Laboratories in New Zealand. Recently, TELARC's Medical Testing Registration Adhsory Committee (MTRAC) reviewed relevant documentation published by the National Pathology Ameditation Advisory Committee (NPAAC) of Australia, the College of American Pathologists (CAP)in the USA, as well 4 TELARCs Code of Laboratory Management Practice. Following this review the MTRAC has published Medical Laboratory Accreditation Standards. These Standards are designed to be used by laboratory staff and TEIARC BSStSSment teams when performing internal and external laboratory audits 50 as to achieve and maintain accreditation in New Zealand.
The MTRAC has produced the Standards as a series of statements followed by questions which address various issues concerning that Standard. Laboratory staff and assessors using such documentation can objectively demonstrate and audit the achievement of accreditation standards. Furthermore, should any area require improvement it can be quickly and 0bjeCtiVtly identified and reported. Thereby facilitating the process of laboratory assessment preparation and performance.
interpreution of standards must take into y t wide vaiiety of situations in which pathology IS Resenter :Andrew R Tbakurdas. TEIARC New Zealand. N A T A R B A adeavo~us rn mintam in a s s e s s m e n t detailed a n d painstaking review invoking assessors, erpen members of OF comrmn~ andNATAsdentificstatf ' I h e p e a ~ s y ~ a n s relied upon to bnng, state-of-thaarr crpawce ta bear on r m tdmdogy as II has done tbrcugb NATAs 43 years
The the
6,
dopgatpa
SHALL LABURATORY APPLICATIONS - OFFICE
TELARC EXPERIENCE AND PROSPECTS - ENCOURAGING THE REMAINDER kN.Barker. Department of Clinical Chemistry. Park Road, Auckland.
Auckland Hospital.
Laboratory ameditation in New Zealand is voluntary, and there are still many laboratories in the country who have been reluctant to request assessment. This includes many of the medium and small laboratories which are situated outside the main centres, and who could benefit most from peer assessment. TELARC sponsored a group of laboratories in the Waikato region to form a cooperative Regional Quality Assurance Group, using the RCPA AQAP as a common baseline. The project was based at Waikato Hospital, and initially included seven laboratories; now expanded to eleven to include the Bay of Plenty region. This group is linked to the Auckland Group of seven laboratories, which had been operating a similar scheme for over ten years. It soon became obvious to the peripheral laboratories that their standard of work compared favourably with the larger laboratories, and that there was a genuine willingness o n the part of the main centre laboratories to communicate and assist them with technical problems. This experience and confidence has encouraged them to proceed with voluntary laboratory ameditation with TELARC. They now perceive TELARC as an organisation which is there to assist them and encourage quality performance. rather than regulate them.
PATHOLOGY QAP
M. do
G. Gribble, Gribbles Pathology Adelaide
&fore the Federal Government introduced Laboratory Accreditation three years ago, there was no control of, nor limitation on who could do pathology tests in Australia, how they did them nor how much they could charge, provided only that the account was rendered by a doctor.
The College played a major role in achieving Lzboratory Accreditation and the development of this legislation is described together with the present situation, particularly as it affects laboratories which are not supervised by Specialist Fathologists. Some GP's and some Specialist Physicians have done simple pathology testing for man;. jecrs. Recent technological advances have increnccd their potential, but Accreditation and a new awareness of the standards of laboratory work have made QA and QC essential in a field in which they had not been widely practised. Council authorised the development of a QAP designed for these and other smaller laboratories which is now in its third year of operation.
This payer described the content of the program, the numbers and types of laboratory which use any of its various parts and indicates what the QAP has achieved and how it may develop.
NATA5 VIEwPOhT
RL R-
RD, Road4
Andrew R Thakurdas. TELARC New Zealand, Private Bag, Remuera, Aucldand 5, New Zealand.
National Assodah of Taung A u m ALlaralia 6 8 8 p a c i f u H @ T u a y , ~ N s w2067,Austdla
g.....
?he rdr of NATA/RCPA in the reguhrory syslem ShOuLl be reprded as a one with irs prime d+we the raising of Stan drds of practice in pa!holoAevz an a a r p M e level for patient care. l h LS by a proms of education aemplified by the profestoaal ~ w h i c h o r m r s ~ h b m a t o r y ~
-
NATA in amjudon wuh tbe Ciikge bas the roAe d an i n s p e c t i o n a= u;deL t h a Laboratories
Departmentof
Commurury SBvvZs and H e a h and under mC a e p d %e
S e r v i c e s A c c r e d i t a t i o n B o a r d of V i c t o r i a . is f - a n d (m b CDCsH is Linked to e gibhty for M e d i c a r e rebates. For ameditation to continue the kboratocy mrrst ppply for and gain NATA/RCPA reghahn
Pathology
-w
NATA/RCPA requirements for N Y U C Standarcis Assessment these standards is by p e r review
Y
Ike
asseryys
aretawdm laboratories ' against involving volunteer
Since 19T9. when accrediting medical laboratories, TELARC has specified
Criteria for the Statutory Registration of Medical Testing Laboratories in New Zealand. Recently, TELARC's Medical Testing Registration Adhsory Committee (MTRAC) reviewed relevant documentation published by the National Pathology Ameditation Advisory Committee (NPAAC) of Australia, the College of American Pathologists (CAP)in the USA, as well 4 TELARCs Code of Laboratory Management Practice. Following this review the MTRAC has published Medical Laboratory Accreditation Standards. These Standards are designed to be used by laboratory staff and TEIARC BSStSSment teams when performing internal and external laboratory audits 50 as to achieve and maintain accreditation in New Zealand.
The MTRAC has produced the Standards as a series of statements followed by questions which address various issues concerning that Standard. Laboratory staff and assessors using such documentation can objectively demonstrate and audit the achievement of accreditation standards. Furthermore, should any area require improvement it can be quickly and 0bjeCtiVtly identified and reported. Thereby facilitating the process of laboratory assessment preparation and performance.
interpreution of standards must take into y t wide vaiiety of situations in which pathology IS Resenter :Andrew R Tbakurdas. TEIARC New Zealand. N A T A R B A adeavo~us rn mintam in a s s e s s m e n t detailed a n d painstaking review invoking assessors, erpen members of OF comrmn~ andNATAsdentificstatf ' I h e p e a ~ s y ~ a n s relied upon to bnng, state-of-thaarr crpawce ta bear on r m tdmdogy as II has done tbrcugb NATAs 43 years
The the
6,
dopgatpa
SHALL LABURATORY APPLICATIONS - OFFICE
TELARC EXPERIENCE AND PROSPECTS - ENCOURAGING THE REMAINDER kN.Barker. Department of Clinical Chemistry. Park Road, Auckland.
Auckland Hospital.
Laboratory ameditation in New Zealand is voluntary, and there are still many laboratories in the country who have been reluctant to request assessment. This includes many of the medium and small laboratories which are situated outside the main centres, and who could benefit most from peer assessment. TELARC sponsored a group of laboratories in the Waikato region to form a cooperative Regional Quality Assurance Group, using the RCPA AQAP as a common baseline. The project was based at Waikato Hospital, and initially included seven laboratories; now expanded to eleven to include the Bay of Plenty region. This group is linked to the Auckland Group of seven laboratories, which had been operating a similar scheme for over ten years. It soon became obvious to the peripheral laboratories that their standard of work compared favourably with the larger laboratories, and that there was a genuine willingness o n the part of the main centre laboratories to communicate and assist them with technical problems. This experience and confidence has encouraged them to proceed with voluntary laboratory ameditation with TELARC. They now perceive TELARC as an organisation which is there to assist them and encourage quality performance. rather than regulate them.
PATHOLOGY QAP
M. do
G. Gribble, Gribbles Pathology Adelaide
&fore the Federal Government introduced Laboratory Accreditation three years ago, there was no control of, nor limitation on who could do pathology tests in Australia, how they did them nor how much they could charge, provided only that the account was rendered by a doctor.
The College played a major role in achieving Lzboratory Accreditation and the development of this legislation is described together with the present situation, particularly as it affects laboratories which are not supervised by Specialist Fathologists. Some GP's and some Specialist Physicians have done simple pathology testing for man;. jecrs. Recent technological advances have increnccd their potential, but Accreditation and a new awareness of the standards of laboratory work have made QA and QC essential in a field in which they had not been widely practised. Council authorised the development of a QAP designed for these and other smaller laboratories which is now in its third year of operation.
This payer described the content of the program, the numbers and types of laboratory which use any of its various parts and indicates what the QAP has achieved and how it may develop.