To Describe The Simplicity And Ease Of Clia Accreditation

By Author: Mary Rusk
Total Articles: 5
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The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988, or CLIA, are comprised of both state and federal guidelines that affect all human testing in the United States. These guidelines, in part developed and enforced by the Centers for Disease Control, or the CDC, rate the knowledge, training, preparation, steps, calibration, and interpretation (among other aspects) of all scientific processes and procedures that are performed in these labs. CLIA accreditation is achieved through biannual CLIA inspections, undertaken by a CLIA inspection officer, of every human testing lab in the country. Many lab technicians and workers see these officers as the enemy, however, because they can deny accreditation to labs and introduce fines. However, the job of the CLIA inspector is very important, and because of this, it is essential that lab workers provide their full cooperation. Also, it is often assumed that, because CLIA accreditation is necessary for labs to operate in the US, that it is an expensive and time consuming process. Fortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. As long as lab supervisors and personnel follow basic ...
... lab rules, the CLIA inspection takes on average two to three hours, and is also a cheap way for ensuring that your lab meets federal and state guidelines.

CLIA fees are dependent on the number and type of tests performed in a lab, but they can easily be as low as $150. Because of this, and because of the important of these tests, it is usually best to simply fill out the application and submit the paperwork, rather than to attempt to get waivers for these tests. In fact, the cost of downtime while waiting for waivers to be returned can add up well into the thousands of dollars, and if doctor's offices and other medical professionals feel that your lab is unable to handle the work they require, they will often look elsewhere for lab analytics and testing. Therefore, and due to the fact that CLIA workshops are often held monthly or bimonthly at CLIA field offices, many offices tend to simply fill out the paperwork and be done with it.

Regardless of the type of lab you operate, and regardless of the type and volume of testing that you do, CLIA accreditation is essential in running a lawful scientific lab practice. Because of the importance of these guidelines, and because of the stiff penalties that can CLIA deficiencies can cause, it's important that every shift follows strict adherence to CLIA guidelines. Doing so will make the overall CLIA accreditation process much simpler, and end the end, much cheaper as well.

Mary Rusk is a freelance writer for COLA.org and is interested in medical and scientific lab certification, testing and CLIA accreditation. For more information on CLIA inspection, Waived Testing, and to see how you can prepare for your biannual review today, visit COLA on the web at www.cola.org